FLY AWAY
by BlueAngel7810
Summary: Sakura wants nothing more than to fly and be free again. Finding her submerged by work, Sasuke is divided between his redemption journey and the will to atone for the tears she has shed by his fault. But wouldn't her soothing presence by his side compromise his journey? What could await them on the roads? sasusaku set after The Last Answers questions after chapter 699. M to be safe
1. Part 1 - Chapter 1

**DISCLAMER** _ **:** I own half a dozen Naruto posters but sadly not the manga itself. Characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto-senpai-sensei-sama and TV Tokyo_

 _Please read the author note at the end :)_

* * *

 _ **Fly Away – Part 1: Evasion**_

 _ **Chapter 1**_

Again one of these winter afternoons when you wondered if the sun would kindly warm the village beneath or simply hide away shyly until spring came. Dots of grayish clouds scattered in the pale azure sky, only letting a few sun rays pierce through and light the earth. The air was fresh too, a wind just cold enough to send a chill up one's spine played with the rare leaves starting to grow on the nearby trees.

Sakura absent-mindedly breathed in the pure air that went through the window of her patient's room, spacing-out for a moment before her gaze returned to the middle aged woman in the hospital bed. She cast a quick glance at her clipboard, rubbed her tired eyes distractedly and commented on the woman's condition. Cases of flu -either severe or regular- were all treated in Konoha's hospital since most of the villagers placed their trust in its skilled medic-nins and preferred them to deceitful herbalists. With the injured shinobis coming back from missions with broken limbs because of slippery ice and snow added to the affluence of villagers contaminated with the flu, medics- including Sakura- were stuck in hospital 24/7. Especially since Tsunade, the current head of Konoha's hospital, had recently promoted her to one of its highest positions. It had only been four months, but it was draining everything from the pink-haired jounin.

Sakura finished explaining the recommended treatment to the sick woman, then turned to the window once more and walked over to close it and prevent the chilling breeze from coming in. Her usual jounin attire with a blouse over it proved not to be enough against the wind's assaults as she found herself shivering every now and then from the cold.

"Please don't. It's way too warm in this room" pleaded her patient tangled in the white sheets of her bed.

The pinkette gave an apologetic smile "You will get better faster if I close it."

The woman looked disappointed but Sakura quickly waved it off and went to the door, politely saying goodbye before taking her leave. A sigh escaped her lips as soon as she closed it behind her. Sakura stole a quick glance at her watch as she walked as hastily as her weary body would let her through the clinical white corridor. Half past five in the afternoon. That meant at _least_ six more hours of being stuck here. She sometimes wondered if she would ever get out of this place. Sakura loved her job of course, she had always wanted to be useful to people and to be able to help them. Being a medic was her vocation. However she wished she could have a break from time to time. More and more these days, she developed a thirst for freedom. Absolute freedom, with the world before her and all the rest behind… _'As if this place was a prison'_ she would always mock herself. But the feeling was still there, it had been for about a year now and it would stay. And as it was becoming harder and harder everyday to cope with her imposing amount of work, she began dreaming of a change, a way to escape all this and live her life… Shaking her head and rubbing her eyes again, she strode towards another room where a patient was surely waiting for her, then another, and another...

"Sakura-san, you should go to the front desk. Some people are waiting for you" a nurse caught Sakura on her way out of the radiography center.

"They'll wait a bit longer, I'm busy right now" the pinkette didn't even stop walking.

"The receptionist said it was important, that I needed to find you fast or she wouldn't be able to handle _him_!" The ebony haired nurse started panicking at what her failure would ensue.

Sakura let out a long sigh at that, "Naruto…" She grumbled something too low for the poor nurse to hear then harshly handed her the folder she had been carrying.

"All right, give that to Shizune for me. There's a patient waiting in room 305."

She didn't wait for the nurse's protests and marched angrily towards the stairs leading to the ground floor where the reception hall was, her annoyance growing into something that could send the blond flying through a wall. The young medic often thought of her friends with longing during her long days stuck in the hospital. Sakura missed spending time with Naruto, she loved him like a brother after all. But she knew him too well. It was always the same when he came by to the hospital: he would start by asking her to go for some ramen with him and Hinata, then she'd tell him she couldn't because of the unhealthy mass of work she still had to do. At that point, Naruto would try to make up the time he wouldn't be spending with her by making small talk, which would soon mold into chatter, then a friendly argument or two and some laughter echoing in the hospital hall. Sakura always had a great time talking to her teammate and laughing with him was one of the things she loved most in this world…However, Tsunade did not see things this way.

These chats with Naruto could go on for hours to the great misery of Shizune, Tsunade and the rest of Sakura's colleagues. The hero of Konoha had interrupted the green eyed jounin's daily activities this way twice in the past, and each time Tsunade had given Sakura the worst lectures she had ever experienced, ranting about how irresponsible she was and how Tonton almost got squashed in the corridors because of the chaos her absence had caused. Sakura had ended up with twice the amount of her usual work to make up for, constant head-aches and paper work to finish at four a.m. in her office.

Therefore, she could not, _would not_ let Naruto disturb her this time. The ramen-loving freak would _not_ lead to the death of her and she was going to shoe him out of this hospital quite literally.

The rosy-haired young woman stormed down the stairs ready to _'kick some ass'_ as she would have put it but stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her. A mess of feelings including stupor, astonishment, warm relief and intense joy suddenly took over her mind and body, leaving her speechless and frozen on the spot. She tried to force a sentence out of her mouth, but since the task seemed completely impossible at the moment, she tried with a word. Still no sound, even her breath wouldn't come back. All thoughts evaporated from her mind as she slowly recognized the silhouette standing by the obnoxious blond near the reception desk. A cloak dusty from long months of traveling the world but more importantly, pale skin, night-colored hair, obsidian eyes…

"Teme! I told you we're gonna surprise her" Naruto loudly complained to his unfazed comrade, earning a few weird looks from the medics passing by. "Now go wait outside where I told you to!"

The other man didn't even snort; his eyes narrowed slightly though, just like they always used to in the past "Don't talk like you can order me around."

Naruto chuckled, a vein popping up on his temple with his rising temper. His voice became more taunting "You know as well as I do that I can kick your ass whenever I want, teme."

"Hn" The raven haired man grunted, almost amused. It was still the same response after all these years even though he had changed so much.

His hair was longer, Sakura noticed, and tied by some sort of deep blue bandana so that his dark spikes were lowered a bit. He still wore dark clothes too, but his missing left arm was clearly noticeable whenever he made certain movements with his cloak. _'He probably hasn't changed all that much'_ she concluded in her mind.

Then, his charcoal eyes found her standing at the bottom of the stairs, her body stiff in utter shock. He simply observed her silently, just as she had done, completely forgetting the pestering blond beside him. It looked as though he wanted to speak for a second but Naruto -who eventually turned back to see what had captured his rival's attention- beat him to it.

"Sakura-chan! Well um…Surprise!" He said, failing miserably at hiding his barely controlled excitement and motioning to the man standing beside him as to silently add _'ta-da!'_

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura heard his name spill from her lips in a soft whisper. She was filled with so many emotions, her inner turmoil gradually evolving into something much worse that made her heart ache and beat wildly in her chest. Flustered, she rapidly pondered on what to do about her current situation: She could run to him and jump into his arms to relieve herself of all these feelings that had plagued her during his agonizingly long absence, showing him just how much she had missed him. But Sakura knew this would only lead to an immediate rejection and more pieces to pick up from this heart of hers that he always managed to shatter so easily… Or she could play it safe and simply welcome him warmly with a bright genuine smile, the one that was only for him.

Sasuke shortly made his way to her in a few long strides. As he stood right before her, she followed the movement of his right hand with her viridian eyes and felt a gentle pressure on her forehead when he poked her there. Choosing her second option, she flashed him a tender smile at this familiar gesture that she knew meant much more to him than a simple poke. Surprisingly, he was the first to break the short silence installed between them. His words were few, as usual, but well chosen "I'm back, Sakura."

Her eyes widened at that. He was back, yes…Maybe not for long but having him here right then was more than enough for her brain to stop functioning and for her heart to take control. Her feelings got the best of her as she finally opted for her first option and jumped onto him, closing the short distance between them and wrapping her arms tightly around his back. He had grown so tall over the years that she couldn't reach his neck so easily anymore; her figure seemed smaller than ever nested against his broad chest.

"Welcome home Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed, overjoyed.

The pink haired medic felt him stiffen a bit more than he already had at that but it didn't matter, this was just how he was. It was so good to see him again… Even better to feel him in her arms, even though he probably did not return these thoughts. She sighed against him –out of pure bliss this time- and was about to free him from her embrace when she heard a whiskered shinobi's footsteps approaching them, obviously annoyed that he was left out.

"Team 7 group-hug!" He shouted a little too loud through the hospital hall, a mischievous grin clearly noticeable on his face.

And with that, Naruto's strong pair of arms encircled his two teammates as best as he could, not without earning a few giggles and some groans of protest.

"Let go, dobe!" The tallest young man snarled.

"You know you like it." Naruto grinned from ear to ear at his best friend's growing infuriation.

"I said let me go, Naruto" Sasuke lowered his voice to a threatening tone.

"Don't look at me like that! You know you're a big sentimental inside!"

"Naruto…" The raven haired young man's glare only hardened at these words.

"Yeah, very deep inside…"

Sensing the upcoming danger, Sakura quickly interrupted them, struggling to make her voice reach them from under the mess of tangled arms and clothes that their 'group hug' had become "Guys, I'm suffocating here!"

Naruto jumped and mumbled an apology, scared that his female teammate would hit him for his stupidity like she always did. Instead, Sakura took a deep breath when she saw the surface again and grinned at him. When she looked over at Sasuke again, she noticed how hard he was trying to cover up the barely detectable blush of embarrassment forming on his pale cheeks. His jaw tightened even more when he saw her watching him with sheer happiness painted all over her features. The Uchiha was doing his very best to hide his true emotions as usual, perhaps because they were in public, but Sakura knew that what Naruto had said earlier wasn't so far from the truth when she saw the gentleness in his eyes despite his otherwise hard expression. Only her and the blond jinchuriki could decipher such things about him and she took pride in it.

The three reunited members of Team 7 stood in silence for a while, stealing knowing glances full of curiosity, excitement, and joy at each other. Naruto was scratching the back of his neck with a toothy grin on his face, Sasuke was smirking as his hand disappeared under his cloak and into his pocket, Sakura was simply beaming. None of them had noticed how the people who had been watching the commotion they had made suddenly seemed stunned and scared when a figure reputed in the village for her very short temper and Herculean strength came into view at the end of the entrance hall.

"SAKURA! There are more than fifty patients waiting for you and their daily check! Shizune and the other medics are about to snap and Tonton will need surgery if you don't get back to work NOW!"

"Tsunade-shishou!" Sakura turned around hastily to face her fuming master. The blonde former Hokage was giving her a look that was not to be taken lightly. Sakura felt so small then, it seemed Tsunade was towering over her like a bird of prey about to dive on her victim.

"Explain this mess!" Tsunade bellowed. She didn't use to yell at her favorite pupil so often in the past, but as Sakura had grown into a highly talented medic, it was only Tsunade's role to make sure that she would keep enhancing her capacities and not leave her duties so easily. The sannin had always been an adept of tough love after all.

Sakura fumbled uneasily with her fingers as she looked for an appropriate answer, silently begging that someone would come to her aid. Fortunately for her, Naruto heard her prayers.

"Hey granny-Tsunade!" He grinned sheepishly, feeling her rock hard glare shifting from her pupil to him. "You see, I brought this bastard over here since he just came back and…"

Tsunade looked over to the raven haired young man Naruto was referring to and her hazel eyes widened slightly in surprise. "So you're back, Uchiha" she said more calmly, now understanding what all this tumult had been about.

Sasuke just nodded in acknowledgement. The short pause that followed was Sakura's cue to speak "Tsunade-shishou, you know, since Sasuke-kun just got back…"

"You're not taking the day off. You've already wreaked havoc in this hospital in fifteen minutes of absence" the former Hokage cut the pinkette off in a final tone.

"But! Old-Tsunade!" Naruto interrupted, scandalized. "We've gotta go to Ichiraku's to celebrate and all! Without Sakura…!"

"You'll have to go later. Now Sakura, people are waiting upstairs."

"Alright…" Sakura sighed, defeated. Her little dream was over. Sasuke was back, but she wouldn't be able to spend any time with him with her excess of work. She glared at the floor before recomposing herself and facing her two teammates with an apologetic smile. When Tsunade cleared her throat in impatience, Sakura frowned and rapidly took her leave without looking back.

Sasuke was taken aback by this. He knew Sakura had a lot of work at Konoha's hospital but had never imagined she would be so loaded with it, Tsunade's words and attitude had been enough for him to deduce that much. The worst was how she looked, not only her saddened expression but also the dark circles under her eyes that she so desperately tried to conceal with make-up. She loved her job, he knew it, but it was so strange to see her free spirit imprisoned, caged in this place that wouldn't let her spread her wings and fly. Sasuke gazed at his comrade beside him. Naruto was completely crest-fallen. He had probably already planned the evening at his favorite ramen restaurant and called his girlfriend beforehand.

Sasuke turned back to see Tsunade's retreating back walking towards the stairs. "Hey" he called blankly.

The older woman looked over her shoulder at Naruto's jaw hanging open in disbelief and Sasuke's impassive look. The latter continued "When does she finish work tonight?"

Naruto blinked at that, his eyes finding a new light of hope like a kid who had been promised some sweets. Tsunade turned around towards them and gave the blond a sorry smile before her gaze returned to the Uchiha's. "Not until at least midnight, I'm afraid."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at that, his disapproval clearly showing through his darkening orbs. Naruto voiced his thoughts for them both "You're overworking her! Let Sakura-chan have a break!"

Tsunade sighed deeply. She knew she was asking Sakura a lot, but she only had her pupil's best interests in mind and also needed a medic with the likes of her in the hospital during the winter yearly epidemics. "The hospital is in need of a medic like her these days. I can't let her go so easily."

"C'mon granny!" Naruto was practically begging on his knees. "I haven't seen her in _weeks_ because of her job! You can let her out one night, can't you!?" Sasuke's scowl deepened at his friend's words.

"If Sakura goes on like this she won't last much longer" Sasuke added bluntly, to which Naruto nodded frantically in agreement.

"You're underestimating my pupil" Tsunade chuckled proudly "But you have a point." She too had noticed the well concealed rings under the young woman's eyes.

"See!?" Naruto encouraged. "Please, granny-Tsunade, just this once!"

There was a long pause when only the chatter of nurses and noises around them could be heard. The blonde former Kage seemed deep in thoughts as she looked at Naruto's anxious and pleading smile then stopped her hazel eyes on Sasuke's determined gaze. The young man's return was truly an exceptional event. Besides, Tsunade couldn't deny that she knew of her student's feelings for the sole survivor of the Uchiha, she had also seen Sakura's eyes shining with a brightness that had been gone during the long months she spent working in the hospital. Finally she turned towards the stairs and looked over her shoulder again with a smirk.

"She'll be at the ramen store around ten."

* * *

 _ **A.N/:**_ _I finally posted it! Thank you for reading the first chapter of "Fly Away"!_

 _Firstly I would like to explain a few things concerning this story:_

 _I was rather disappointed at the lack of explanation we got from Kishimoto concerning Sasuke and Sakura's relationship at the end of Naruto. Not only that, but he left many questions unanswered and loose ends after chapter 699 (Team Taka, etc...)._

 _Which is why I decided to write this story! I want to tie up these loose ends and give Sasuke and Sakura the developement they deserve (without going as far as to make them travel to the moon, hopefully)._

 _Also, I started writing this before Gaiden came out, so maybe this will not totally stick to the canon storyline (well, this is fanfiction after all). I'll do my best to keep it more or less "realistic" anyway!_

 _Again, thank you very very much for reading and if you want then please leave a review to comment on style, characters or parts you liked (or even hated) so I can improve and make more people happy.^_^_

 _Obviously this will be a multi-chapter story, so stay tuned for the next chapter (at Ichiraku, yum)!_


	2. Part 1 - Chapter 2

_**FLY AWAY- Part 1: Evasion**_

 _ **Chapter 2**_

"She should already be here by now…" Naruto mumbled as he desperately tried to refrain from spinning on his stool in a childish way in front of Hinata.

"I'm sure she'll come, Naruto-kun. Don't worry" the Hyuuga girl put a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder.

Sasuke was waiting more or less patiently beside the two, not making a sound. The stars and the moon were already high up in the dark blue night sky and not many people were left wandering in the main street of Konoha. He propped his chin on his hand, elbow positioned on the ramen bar and eyes closed, resting, before the blond's voice cut in the silence again.

"Dang!" Naruto slammed his hands flatly on the counter, making the owner of the shop and his daughter jump. "I thought old Tsunade would let her out at ten! And it's already half past!"

"She probably has extra work to do." Hinata theorized in her usual quiet voice, now rubbing Naruto's right shoulder to try and soothe him a little.

"I'm starving…"The jinchuriki mumbled grumpily, slumping on his stool. He sat more upright again as a thought suddenly crossed his mind "Geez! I'm sorry Hinata, Hiashi-san's gonna kill us!"

The thought of his soon to be father in law sent a chill up Naruto's spine in dread of the lecture he would have to go through for taking Hinata back home so late into the night. He wouldn't be able to show his face near the Hyuuga's quarters for at least a week…

"W-we'll be fine…" Hinata smiled uneasily and stuttered like she used to in the past, failing miserably at hiding her own fear of her father. Though if it ever became necessary, she wouldn't hesitate a second to stand up against the head of the Hyuuga clan for her boyfriend's sake.

Trying to rid himself of such depressive thoughts, Naruto turned to face the aloof raven haired man on his left with his usual toothy grin "Hey Sasuke, you're awfully quiet. Say something for a change!"

Said young man merely sighed tiredly. "You're loud enough for both of us."

"Wait, what!? Teme…" The blond's temper rose rapidly again, making his girlfriend's pearl eyes widen in panic.

"Ha ha! Calm down now boys." Teuchi, the restaurant owner laughed at his favorite customer's antics before asking "Would you like to order something before we have to close up?"

Naruto's face fell "But Sakura-chan…" Sasuke was perplexed too. Sakura had always been first to complain about Kakashi whenever he made them wait in the old days, so for her to be so late…It was already a quarter to eleven. _'Is she still working at this time?'_ He asked himself silently _'No wonder she looks exhausted.'_

"Sorry for the wait!"

Everyone turned at the sound of Sakura Haruno's familiar voice. Naruto's eyes sparkled again and he hastily ordered the usual for him, Hinata and Sakura. The green eyed medic-nin's jog slowed as she approached the ramen stand and finally sat on the sole remaining spot beside Sasuke. Discreetly inspected her for the second time that day, the Uchiha noticed that she was still wearing her hospital blouse and that the rings under her eyes had become more apparent because of her worn out make up. She was also desperately attempting to untangle her messy locks of pink hair, to no success.

"Uchiha-san? What will it be?" Teuchi asked the coal eyed man who hadn't ordered yet.

Sasuke blinked once and turned back to the ramen chef, wondering if he had been caught staring at his teammate for too long. Fortunately for him, Sakura was still trying to tie her hair up to make it seem less untidy.

"Yo Sakura-chan, what took you so long?" Naruto inquired curiously, striving not to let most of his frustration show through. Sakura knew better, no one could get between Naruto and his favorite bowl of ramen.

"There was a last minute surgery in the afternoon and I had to make up for my missed appointments afterwards. I'm really sorry." She glanced between her best friend and the ramen shop owner with an apologetic look, hoping that she had not caused too much trouble. Both of them dismissed all negative thoughts quickly.

"You had a surgery?" Hinata asked, leaning on the counter to see Sakura from the other side of the bar.

Sakura nodded "A chuunin who came back from a mission with most of his limbs broken." She paused to reassure the shocked young woman with a smile "It had to be taken care of immediately but it wasn't too serious. It took nearly four hours though…" She sighed.

"Why are you still wearing that blouse?"

Sasuke's inquiry surprised her slightly "Oh, this?" She pointed at her white long vest. "It's because I have to go back after dinner. Just a little paperwork to finish…" She lowered her gaze at the thought of the enormous pile waiting on her desk.

Sasuke let out a low grunt as warm ramen bowls were placed before them. Naruto shouted a loud "Ittadakimas!" that was sure to wake up half of the already sleeping villagers. How he could have his bowl served and half empty in the span of a minute was a complete mystery to his three companions. Sakura had barely had the time to divide her chopsticks when Naruto asked for another bowl. However, the pink haired jounin noticed how Sasuke was fumbling with his own. His chopsticks were still glued to each other and he seemed to have much trouble separating them with only his right hand. Finally he used his teeth to split them apart and started eating. It was only weirder to watch him bend his head down with each gulp.

Naruto had asked for his arm prosthesis immediately after it was ready because he was right handed and would have had problems relearning to do everything. The ambidextrous Sasuke on the other hand, had departed the village before he could obtain the arm that was made for him out of the first Hokage's regenerating cells. He had declared that he wanted to see the world with his newly found clarity as soon as possible then, but Sakura had had enough time during his absence to contemplate other hypotheses. Perhaps he had wanted to suffer more, to inflict pain on himself so as to atone for his sins? Sakura doubted this but she had another theory: Perhaps he believed that Hashirama's cells would only enhance his power, possibly even give him another rinnegan? Maybe he didn't want to be blinded by the Uchiha's natural thirst for power again? These ideas all led to dark paths and unknown answers and Sakura felt that she already had enough to worry about these days to add Sasuke's secrets to her list.

"Sakura?" Said young man asked in a low voice in order not to attract Naruto and Hinata's attention. He had noticed Sakura staring about a minute ago and was quite confused as to why she was still looking blankly at him.

"Huh?" She replied, resurfacing from her sea of thoughts.

"Something wrong?" He inquired, expressionless, though his dark eyes bore into her light pools of green to prevent her from lying.

She blinked in surprise at his question, but noticing the way he was studying her, the corners of her rosy lips curled up into a smile "No, don't worry. I'm fine." Then she remembered her earlier thoughts and decided to ask before he would turn back to his food "Actually, I was just wondering if you wanted your left arm back."

She saw his eyes widen for a split second. Sasuke seemed deep in thoughts about what she alluded to and Sakura was tempted to laugh when she saw him glaring at his ramen bowl.

"I don't know…" He replied uncertainly "Maybe…"

"I could arrange an appointment to place the prosthesis, if you want. It wouldn't take more than an hour." Sakura encouraged kindly. Coaxing Sasuke Uchiha into doing something _for himself_ was not any easy task, it was even judged impossible by most reasonable people. But Sakura was not reasonable when it came to the handsome Uchiha, never had been and never would be; nor was she like most people.

Naruto quickly caught on his teammates' conversation. "Yeah Sasuke, you should just get your arm back already." He paused to glance at Hinata for approval while munching on his noodles expertly. "It's ridiculous to stay like that when you could have it fixed so easily."

"Hn" Sasuke was lost in thoughts again.

"D-Doesn't it bother you when you travel, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata questioned shyly, making eye-contact with the raven haired young man after finishing her sentence only to look away immediately, intimidated by his somber onyx eyes.

There was a pause when no one spoke a word and only the noise Teuchi and his daughter Ayame were doing while cooking Naruto's fifth ramen bowl could be heard. Sasuke directed his gaze to the counter before speaking "I have more important things to worry about while I'm traveling."

"Eh? Whatsh shat shupposhed ta mean?" Naruto asked with his mouth completely full. Sakura had the sudden urge to punch some sense into him but was unfortunately seated too far to do so.

Sasuke sighed at his best friend's antics before answering, his voice low and stern "The shinobi system hasn't changed all that much. The world is still unbalanced and people suffer from injustice. Rogue ninjas, mafias, even lowly thieves, they impose their law in small villages and rule scattered all around this Earth. The Five Great Nations are still doing their best to rebuild the world after the war, but it is not enough. Not much has changed, if anything at all…I feel like everything is going back to the way it used to be in the past."

"Well, isn't that a good thing?" the restaurant owner cut in the conversation, finding great interest in the topic.

Sakura saw Sasuke's body tensing in a flash. No, this wasn't a good thing. Sasuke's past, his brother Itachi's sacrifice and the Uchiha's history were enough to prove that fact. Still, the obsidian eyed man did his very best to remain calm and Naruto observed his fist unclenching slowly under the counter as he responded more harshly than he intended to.

"This world won't ever change if we keep remodeling it like it was in the past! We need to move forward, to make a difference." He paused, finally regaining his composure, and continued in a more neutral tone "Men build things only to destroy them and rebuild the same over the rubble, believing it will make it all better somehow. We need to take it to another level, to start constructing anew and differently." He paused to push his empty bowl away "I mean, we must change the way we do things, like depending on these rich feudal lords for funds for instance. These guys don't even know what we do with their money half of the time! They have shinobis eating out of their hands and aren't even aware of it! And since the Kages are all contingent on them, they always have to ask for their approval to do something big. The lords don't realize what they could do to improve their country with their money, they all live in luxury without worrying in the least about poverty and the world outside. It's just ridiculous."

Everyone sat in silence after Sasuke's speech. The things he had said made sense, and just then, everyone realized how much he had seen and learnt during his travels, that it had not been in vain and that Sasuke truly intended to stay true to his word and change things for the better in this world one way or another.

"Wow…Teme, you just blew my mind" Naruto stated in awe. "There I was thinking you were just doing solo missions to entertain yourself…"

"Tch, you got it all wrong." Sasuke answered flatly, almost desperate at his friend's incurable stupidity.

"But you must have so much on your mind while you're out there…" Sakura mused aloud.

After a rather long pause, Naruto finished his sixth bowl and started chatting with Hinata. Sakura and Sasuke simply ate in silence for a while before the young man put an end to it.

"…I have no reason not to get my arm back." In Sasuke language, it meant that he agreed to have an appointment with Sakura to place the prosthetic left arm.

Sakura looked up, unperturbed by the abrupt change of topic, and smiled "Oh good, I'll arrange my schedule then!"

"Hn" he grunted to seal the deal.

"Oh yeah! Then I could kick your ass without feeling bad for beating up a handicapped guy, teme!" Naruto burst out laughing and almost choked on his noodles. Hinata patted his back rhythmically, her eyes filled with worry.

"Usuratonkatchi" Sasuke chuckled, watching the blond's face almost turn blue. Sakura's giggles soon joined him.

Once Naruto had regained his breath and Hinata had managed to hide her small amused smile, the porcelain eyed young woman asked "But, Sakura-san, wouldn't it be too much work for you? You already have so much to do, we never see you around the village anymore."

"Oh…" Sakura was reminded of the imposing pile of paperwork waiting to be filled on her desk and the ten page list of patients she had to tend to the next day. She dropped her head down in defeat. Out of all the glorious battles she had come through, her job had to be the death of her. Then she remembered her earlier thoughts that afternoon. Green fields, blue skies, the world before her…

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto called, intrigued by the distant look in her eyes.

Her gaze was still directed elsewhere, deep in the woods, far off on a sandy beach, along an emerald lagoon, as she confessed dreamily "I wish I could go…"

"Huh? What do you…?"

She didn't let Naruto finish and continued explaining what had been on her mind for months "I wish I could explore the world and leave everything behind for a while. I know it sounds crazy, but I've had enough. I love my job but…Enough is enough! I can't take it anymore!" As her speech became more fervent, she turned to face her three comrades' puzzled looks. None of them had imagined such feelings hidden within Sakura. She went on just as passionately as she had started. "I don't want to be imprisoned anymore, I want to fly away for once in my life! To be free of everything! No more paperwork, no more lectures…I just wish I could go…"

All three stared in awe after the pink haired medic's confession. Sasuke was by far the most confused; he hadn't seen Sakura in months and when he came back, it was to find her like this! He observed the small blush forming on her cheeks coupled with the earnest spark of hope glinting in her intense viridian eyes for a minute, unblinking…And then he made the link. It ticked in the young Uchiha's mind like a thunder crack resounding in his head when he met her gaze directly. She wasn't looking at him in particular, but for Sasuke, it was crystal clear that she was indirectly asking him a favor.

Sasuke recalled her eyes that day when he had left Konoha after the final battle. Those deep pools of grassy green had not been the same then: filled with care and wishing when she had asked him to take her with him, but not quite the hope and thirst for freedom that she had showed a minute before. Sasuke kept staring intently at her, trying to find something in her demeanor that would tell him his assumptions were unfounded.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto breathed out her name, completely dumfounded like the rest of them.

The medic let out a bitter giggle before speaking "It's selfish isn't it? I don't want to disappoint those who are counting on me but…" Sakura trailed off looking at the counter. "I just want to feel free again. I miss the time when we went on missions all the time, Naruto" she flashed a small nostalgic smile at the blond before turning to Sasuke. "There are still so many things I haven't seen in this world."

The raven haired young man snorted, doing his best to hide how flustered he truly was after such an announcement as he inquired in a low cynical tone "Did you figure that out all of a sudden?"

Sakura frowned but responded strongly "I've been thinking about it for months now."

That shut him up. Months? So it wasn't just a fleeting idea popping in her head one day and gone the next? Sasuke kept silent and studied her for a moment before turning back to the bar. _'What's with that look…?'_ He thought, for the first time unable to read Sakura like an open book.

"I think it's a good idea."

Everyone turned to the Hyuuga girl who had just spoken. Hinata gulped to keep her shyness at bay and continued "I think I understand what you mean. There's nothing selfish in wanting to discover new things, it just proves that you're a curious and intelligent person, Sakura-san."

Sakura blushed a little more at the compliment. "You really think so?"

Hinata nodded. "Besides, it's only normal since, you know, you're stuck in the hospital all the time… Naruto and I don't even see you anymore, you must not have a minute to yourself…"

Sasuke considered the Hyuuga's words, trying to make sense of them. In the disaster that had been the majority of his life, he had experienced all kinds of feelings: loneliness, dread, fear for his life, sorrow, hatred, revulsion, contempt…But never had he felt imprisoned or deprived of freedom like Sakura currently seemed to be. Was she unhappy because of it? Did it hurt her? The young woman's earlier confession proved the intensity of her feelings, so why didn't she do anything about it? _'Can't anyone do anything about it?'_

* * *

 ** _A.N./ about this chapter:_** _I wrote this right after watching the movie "Twelve Angry men", which gave me the idea of having a whole chapter set entirely in one place. Only here, Ichiraku has turned into more of a "confessionnal" for the characters to voice their experience and emotions than the anger catalyst depicted in the movie cited above._

 _I also know that in the original Naruto manga, it is said early on that the Kages don't depend on feudal lords like Sasuke explained here, but I did warn you that I would modify some little things like that. Besides, the manga ended a bit "too perfectly", so I had to add some problems one way or another. This will definitely come in handy later on..._

 _Anyway, thank you very much for reading. All the follows and favorites I received for the first chapter made me really happy (especially in such a short timespan! You guys are amazing!). However, I would be overjoyed to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to comment and leave a review!^^_

 _'Till next time~_


	3. Part 1 - Chapter 3

Sasuke adjusted the navy blue bands around his left forearm. The prosthesis fit perfectly, and although it had burnt him to the core when the unfamiliar cells had merged with his own the first day, the pain had now subsided and he felt as good as new. He would still have to relearn some things but like Sakura said, he was completely 'repaired' now.

The young man chuckled lightly at the memory from two days ago. He had complained that his teammate treated him like a broken doll but she hadn't had time to reply as Shizune had appeared in the room just then to call her for some duties. The pink haired girl had turned to face him before disappearing behind the door _"Don't push yourself too hard until Sunday, ok?"l_

Sunday afternoons were Sakura's only time off the hospital. She usually spent them at home filling in paperwork or sleeping but Naruto had insisted that the first Sunday after Sasuke's return would be dedicated to a Team 7 special training session. _'He'll kill us one day…'_ the Uchiha thought tiredly, steadying his katana on his back and starting for the door of his small apartment. Sasuke looked up at the sky to see it painted with grey clouds and almost regretted discarding his cloak, however his traveler's instinct told him that it was not going to rain that day, he had always had a feeling for these things.

While walking in the streets of Konoha towards his team's old training grounds, thoughts of Sakura's confession the other day passed by Sasuke's mind. The look in her eyes had told him the truth: her job was slowly breaking her lively spirit… He could not stand it. After all that had happened to her, all _he_ had put her through, her job was too much for her? She had always pushed herself to her limits for her comrades, the Sakura he knew was not so weak. _'No this is not it…'_ Sasuke battled with his thoughts, desperately trying to untangle them _'Sakura hasn't changed, it's just that…'_

' _I just want to feel free again'_ he recalled her words back at the ramen store. The kunoichi wanted nothing more than to quit all this, at least for a while until she could start anew, more experienced and mature. The environment she was in would not let her bloom, that was why she sought something else, something more.

But could Sasuke really provide what she needed? Did he even want to? Sakura was one of the two persons most precious to him, she also probably was the one who loved him the most… He couldn't stand seeing her wilting like a flower craving for sunlight. But traveling with him…Hadn't he told her before leaving that day? _'She still has nothing to do with my sins'_ The raven haired ninja reminded himself, but then her voice echoed again in his mind _'There are still so many things I haven't seen in this world'_. He had walked practically every forgotten paths and zigzagging road on this earth and was most qualified to show their hidden secrets to her. But his journey for redemption was not a vacation where he could invite friends to tag along, it was something he had to do alone. The more Sasuke thought about it, the more he realized he could not help her even though he wanted to, badly.

The onyx eyed shinobi cursed under his breath and kicked a pebble on the ground, shoving his hands into his pants pocket. Just as he was about to jump on the roofs to get his mind off things and reach the training grounds early, he heard familiar voices talking near the corner of the street. Sasuke walked silently towards the sound, stopping dead in his tracks when he recognized Sakura's light giggles. He masked his chakra and stepped closer more cautiously, finding an angle where he could see Sakura's back turned to him in the reflection of a large window on the other side of the street. Careful not to be spotted on the glass reflection, the raven haired ninja listened as she talked to three familiar young men; one wore a square green jumpsuit, the second a long dark green coat with his hood on despite the absence of rain, the last had a black fur lined jacket and a large white dog at his side. The Uchiha easily recognized the three shinobis as Rock Lee, Shino and Kiba.

"Haha! No really Lee-san, I'm okay don't worry." Sakura laughed. Sasuke didn't buy it. Judging from her tired tone and how she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand right after saying these words, she probably hadn't had enough sleep the previous night.

"I won't let anyone harm you Sakura-san, not even Tsunade-sama!" The said green clad ninja shouted ever so enthusiastically. "I'll always protect you with my life!"

Sakura let out one more nervous giggle at that before another voice joined in the conversation. "Shino and I heard from Hinata that you wanted to go on some kind of adventure, is that true?" A loud bark was heard from Akamaru after Kiba finished his sentence.

"What, oh no no no!" Sakura waved her hands in front of her face to dismiss these not so farfetched ideas. "I just told her I missed traveling while going on missions… I thought that maybe… I could journey around the world someday…" she explained, her voice getting slightly lower with each word. Sasuke gritted his teeth at the reminder of his earlier conclusions.

"Really?"

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"

"…"

Sakura turned her head slightly so that Sasuke could see part of her face. He could tell the tree men's drastically different reactions almost made her laugh; she just smiled instead, in fear of offending them. The young woman slowly nodded her head in confirmation. Hearing nothing but silence for a moment, Sasuke contemplated joining them but decided against it when Shino surprisingly spoke.

"You can't go alone."

Lee, who had been stuck on the spot, was brought back to life by this comment. "Sakura-san! I'll go to the ends of the Earth for you! I'll protect you during your journey, I swear it on Guy-sensei's wheelchair!" The bushy eye-browed man declared fervently, a spark of determination lighting a blazing fire in his eyes.

The same thought crossed the two members of Team 7's minds at that _: 'Can you even swear on a wheelchair?'_ Sakura repressed a sigh, politely declining "I'm sorry Lee, but I don't think you can come with all your jounin missions."

"But I…!" Lee began defending himself but was rendered silent by Kiba cutting him off.

"Still, Shino's right. You can't go on your own, it's too dangerous." He paused to glance at his bug loving teammate in order to gather some courage and then returned his eyes to Sakura's emerald ones with what Sasuke recognized as a reddish blush of embarrassment on his cheeks "Shino and I could go with you… We don't have too many missions, you know…"

Without realizing it, Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek and clenched his fists, his whole body tensing at these words. Why was Kiba suggesting something so stupid? Sakura had not even asked! And since when had the dog trainer started blushing when he talked to her? The Uchiha's temper rose all the more when only silence followed Kiba's offer. _'Is she actually considering it!?'_ Sasuke asked himself, shocked at his teammate's tardy reaction _. 'Why doesn't she say no straight away!?'_

"I…I'm not sure Kiba…I…" Sakura finally stuttered as a reply, obviously uncomfortable. For some reasons Sasuke did not know, it enraged him all the more.

"You don't have to answer immediately!" The Inuzuka interrupted less bashfully than before. "Just think about it."

Sasuke was on the verge of going out of his hiding spot to yank Sakura to the training grounds and away from the three men when the viridian eyed young woman suddenly spoke again.

"I'm sorry Kiba, Shino…Forget about it, I have too much work to do here and Tsunade-shishou would never let me go anyway…" Something was off, Sasuke noticed. She sounded defeated, almost resigned; though the sharingan wielder couldn't help but relax a little at her declining the offer.

"MWOOOOOOH!" A fired up Lee suddenly yelled, making the others jump. He gave the medic his infamous 'nice guy pose' "Don't worry Sakura-san! I'll fight Tsunade-sama for you! Then she'll be forced to let you come with me!"

She couldn't help sighing this time "Lee, I already told you…"

"Sakura."

The young woman hastily looked back at the familiar deep voice calling her name. Sasuke had had enough. He had turned the corner of the street, tired of listening to this ridiculous conversation and resolute to drag Sakura away from that bunch of idiots.

Both Kiba and Lee tensed when he approached them, confirming Sasuke's assumptions that he wasn't truly welcome as a comrade among them _yet_ despite the time that had passed after the war. In contrast, Shino was almost as good as an Uchiha to hide his emotions.

"Long time no see, Sasuke" Kiba greeted, trying to seem friendly although his uneasy tone made his distrust of the raven haired shinobi pretty obvious.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura found her voice at last. "How is your arm? Does it hurt anymore?" She asked, concerned.

"I'm fine" he replied curtly, his obsidian eyes never leaving hers "We should get going or Naruto will get impatient."

"Oh, right!"

The other three -minus Shino- stared at Sakura with confusion written all over their faces. She turned to them with a smile, making Sasuke unnoticeably grit his teeth once more.

"We gotta go" She said lightly "It was really nice talking to you guys, see you around!"

Sasuke glanced at them one after the other -his silent goodbye- before leaving the group and Sakura behind. The pink haired jounin turned around again to see the Uchiha's retreating back as he strode away without her. She did her best to follow his brisk pace and walk beside her teammate when she caught up to him after a jog. Sakura being much shorter than the young man, the task was proven to be nearly impossible.

"Sasuke-kun, you're walking too fast!" Sakura complained, panting slightly as she ran a few meters to join him.

He didn't even hear her. For some reasons he couldn't place just yet, the young Uchiha still felt his blood boiling in his veins. It annoyed him to no end that no less than three men would offer Sakura their help to leave the village and travel the world when he knew that _he_ could not grant this wish for her. It irritated him even more that she would actually consider their offer. What game was she playing? And how could they believe that he would let them take her away? She would be safer on her own than with any of these clowns.

"Sasuke-kun, slow down!"

This time he stopped, only to have a breathless Sakura colliding with his back. She let out a small 'ouch' then sighed and looked up at him, a playful smile playing on her lips "Geez, you're trying to lose me or something?"

"Sorry" he simply replied, still lost in thoughts. He resumed walking, this time at a slower pace to let Sakura follow beside him.

"What's wrong?" The kunoichi had sensed his inner turmoil and could not help but ask.

"Nothing." Sakura sighed at his one word answer but she wasn't giving up. "You look preoccupied." After two long minutes, she still received no answer, so she decided to let it slide, knowing that he would probably get over whatever was on his mind soon. Otherwise, he would have most likely told her. She silently walked by his side accompanied, much like him, by her own thoughts.

' _What's wrong with me? Take a grip on yourself!'_ Sasuke scolded himself. He couldn't help recalling Kiba's blush and Sakura's shy smile when he offered to escort her on her trip as well as Lee's stupid antics making her laugh… _'I never make her laugh…'_ he thought dejectedly _'Wait, what?'_ Then it clicked in his mind all of a sudden. His eyes widened for a split second at the realization but he quickly covered it up with his usual stern façade. It stung his pride to admit it but it was clear now _'I'm jealous.'_

The feeling was not new to him. How long had he been jealous of Naruto in the past? Like the blond, Sakura was one of Sasuke's most precious people and it was only natural for him to be _a little_ possessive, or protective of her. Besides, many of the things he regretted about his past were linked to Sakura. All he had ever done was making her cry, burning her heart to ashes over and over again… So when he saw her laughing so easily because of Lee… In addition, Sasuke couldn't do anything to help her. He couldn't free her of her wearing life in Konoha and take her away to explore the world like Shino and Kiba could. He had sins to atone for while they hadn't, and this made the whole difference.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Parting with his thoughts for a moment, he glanced at the girl beside him through wind blown raven bangs, waiting for her to talk.

"You know, I wanted to ask you the other night but…" She gazed down at the ground for a second but quickly looked up to meet his eyes again "…Does your journey… Hurt you?"

The puzzled look on his face encouraged her to continue despite her hesitation "I mean… about this world… I know you really want it to change but with everything you said…" The medic stared deep into his coal orbs as she asked earnestly "Doesn't it hurt you to have so much on your mind?"

Sakura had spent a long time turning this thought over and over in her mind, but the more she did, the more she realized it was very plausible that Sasuke was sore, maybe even desperate at their world's current condition. From what he had said the other day, his journey had been far from peaceful and quiet. It worried her that maybe all the things he had seen and experienced while he was gone had brought back long buried memories, all those he never wanted to be reminded of. The blood, injustice and betrayal. Death, Loneliness and Hatred.

Sasuke blinked and remained silent for a while, pondering about her question. It was true that his journey was never meant to be full of smiles and laughter, but he couldn't deny that he sometimes wished he wasn't alone. He chastised himself for thinking this but, in all truth, it had been hard. Being powerless when facing society's inequalities, distrusted, stared because of his reputation, judged by people who barely knew him, rejected. Despite all the power years of endless fighting had granted him, he was defenseless in front of these things.

He answered at last, as casual and as honest as possible "I can't say it's not annoying sometimes, but I manage."

"Really?" Sakura knew he wasn't letting out any detail, but she still needed the truth.

Pushing all dark thoughts aside, he looked her in the eyes and gave a small smile, genuinely happy that she cared "Really."

She beamed brightly at this rare sight before returning her gaze to the dusty road. A more mischievous grin appeared on her lips and she started walking faster, taking ridiculously long strides. Sasuke observed her small figure as she spun around to face him while walking backwards on the deserted bridge leading to the forested area of their training grounds. She was a few meters away from him but her Cheshire cat smile was still clearly visible.

Sasuke smirked in turn "Are you trying to lose me?"

~O~

"Yo Teme! The hell were you doing on the way here!?" Naruto yelled when his rival finally came into view. The blond who had been seated on one of the three trunks where he had once been tied up stood abruptly, dead set on giving the raven haired young man a piece of his mind for making him wait alone for so long. He froze though, when he saw the emerald eyed medic beside his rival. Fearing that his outburst would earn him a hard punch from Sakura, he cowered behind his abandoned trunk, flashing a nervous grin to his teammates.

"Sorry Naruto" Sakura apologized. "We ran into Lee, Kiba and Shino on our way here."

The ramen lover blinked, surprised at his pink haired teammate's gentle response. She seemed to be particularly high spirited -most probably for the better- so he exhaled discreetly and adopted a more relaxed posture, his wry smile returning in an instant.

"I thought _he_ was gonna be there before you guys."

Sakura's eyes widened in astonishment at what her friend was implying. She began stammering unfinished questions incoherently "What? Don't tell me _he_ is…? But I thought…With his job…!"

"Hi."

The three young shinobis turned around in an instant to come face to face with the owner of the familiar voice. There stood Hatake Kakashi in his black ninja uniform, looking unreadable like he always did. He gave a small wave of salutation to his three former pupils, a smile that was hidden under his ever present mask apparent in his shining dark eyes.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise. How long had it been since she had last seen him? His nomination as the sixth Hokage and her endless shifts at the hospital made it completely impossible for both of them to visit each other and she believed she wasn't the only one in that case. Naruto's many missions took most of his time, and when he did have free hours, he usually chose to spend them with Hinata. The medic sometimes envied him for that.

"Nice to see you again Sasuke." The silver haired man greeted the Uchiha who returned the gesture with a simple nod. "So, Team 7 is officially reunited once more."

"Yeah!" Naruto interjected enthusiastically. "I would've asked Yamato-taichou to come as well but I couldn't find him. As for Sai…" The blond warily eyed Sasuke at the thought of the artist. For some reasons he would have to figure out later, the young Uchiha couldn't stand the mere mention of the Root ninja that had temporarily replaced him in Team 7. This statement was proven true again when the raven haired shinobi began glaring at the ground when he heard Sai's name.

"Yamato is on a mission" Kakashi enlightened. "But let's just say this is a 'nostalgic reunion'." The three others tried as hard as possible not to show that the name he gave it made them want to facepalm. Their teacher noticed their reaction without a doubt, but he nonetheless carried on in a more sarcastic voice "Anyway children, we don't have much time today since I have to get back soon to my wonderful paperwork."

' _Tell me about it'_ Sakura commented mentally.

"So, since we only have an hour…" the former anbu continued, reaching for his back pocket while talking. He collected a mysterious item in his balled fist, which he presented to his old students. "…I thought we could revise the basics." When he opened his hand, the pale winter sun light shone on four small metal bells ringing with the breeze.

Naruto's face fell as he complained loudly "Whaaat? After all these years you didn't come up with anything more original than the bell exercise!? I'm starting to believe you only have that one in stock!"

"Don't think it'll be as easy for you as last time" Sasuke said in a daring tone. Unlike the other two, he had only been through this exercise once years ago, on the day they became a team.

"Sasuke-kun" Sakura called for the dark haired shinobi's attention, interrupting the men's staring contest. "You still have to go easy today with your new arm, don't forget."

Her tone was serious but concerned at the same time, making the Uchiha wonder whether he should glare at her for making him seem weak or nod to reassure her. Naruto didn't give him the time to decide as he hit his left palm with his other fist and adopted a battle stance.

"We can leave Sasuke-teme on the sidelines if he doesn't feel too well, let's just begin already!" The dark haired man glared daggers at the grinning idiot.

"Right" Kakashi concurred, nimbly throwing tree of the silvery bells to each of his former students. "Since we would obviously destroy the whole area if we fought with our full strength, we'll have to establish a few rules: Naruto, forget Sage mode and don't use the tailed beasts' chakra." The jinchuriki's eagerness turned to disappointment in a flash. "Kage bunshins and rasengans are fine" The silver haired man added seeing the Uzumaki's discontent.

"Sakura, I'll advise you not to use the _strength of a hundred technique_ if you don't want more work than you already have." The young woman smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"Sasuke, no mangekyou sharingan and of course, no rinnegan." The Uchiha scowled. "Trust me, it's better like that." Kakashi knew the ancients of Konoha wouldn't appreciate half of the village being burnt down in the dark flames of Amaterasu. "As for myself, no mangekyou sharingan either" Kakashi concluded. "Any objections?"

Upon receiving nothing but silence as a response, the silver haired Hokage declared "Once you lose your bell, you're out. The one with the most bells in the end gets to read the last volume of Icha Icha Paradise!"

Kakashi wasn't surprised when after this last sentence, a flurry of kunais were sent his way.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Sorry for updating a bit late. I had to calm down a little after reading the latest chapter of Naruto Gaiden...-_-"_

 _I know that I made Sasuke a bit too obviously jealous in this chapter. Moreover, he realized it rather quickly. It may seem OOC, but as this is my take on the characters, I thought that Sasuke would have matured over the years and think it stupid to dither about such feelings. Besides, I explained the exact feeling of jealousy that he feels, so I hope it'll be clear enough.^^_

 _Feel free to tell me what you thought about that or anything that you liked or didn't like in a review! :)_

 _Thank you for your reviews, favorites and follows! I'm truly happy that you like this story so far! Even to those whom I haven't heard of yet, Thank you very much for reading and I hope that the next chapter will please you as well! So be patient..._


	4. Part 1 - Chapter 4

_**FLY AWAY- Part 1 : Evasion**_

 _ **Chapter 4**_

Sasuke dodged another flurry of kunai before jumping back a few meters to avoid Naruto's diving rasengan. Two shurikens missed his shoulder by an inch when he landed. He immediately unsheathed his katana to guard against a direct attack from the sixth Hokage. Sasuke pushed away Kakashi's kunai with a swipe of his sword and made to slice at his old sensei's legs, rapidly chaining with a backhand slash and tsuki thrust. The older shinobi avoided all his attacks but wasn't expecting his former pupil to plant his sword into the ground and use it as a support for a circular high kick. Kakashi reacted as fast as he could and blocked with difficulty. Sasuke used this opening to shift his hands' position on the hilt of his katana and do a back flip on it, powerfully kicking the silver haired Hokage in the chin. The movement sent Kakashi flying; his eyes widened upon recovering his fall and noticing the Uchiha finishing the Great Fireball Jutsu's hand signs.

However, the dark haired young man didn't have time to attack the former anbu as Sakura chose this moment to launch an offensive on him. His blood red irises shifted quickly to observe her movements and avoid all her chakra infused punches. He couldn't afford to take even one of them, even though this was still Sakura. He left his katana in its hostler this time and settled for a taijutsu duel but the green eyed girl was fast to show him his mistake. Grabbing a kunai from her item pouch, she obviously presented it way too close to his chest for him to block. Sasuke had barely a second to notice a smirk forming on her lips before she simply let go of her weapon and harshly punched him in the stomach. The Uchiha's astounded expression was priceless as he was violently sent flying, his back colliding hard into a tree and his breath knocked out of his lungs.

With Naruto and Kakashi still wrestling on the other side of the arena, Sakura took a minute to savor this small moment of victory. She appeared right before Sasuke's staggering form and placed another kunai on his throat, still smirking. "Don't underestimate me Sasuke-kun or next time I'll punch you _through_ the tree."

Struggling to catch his breath, the young man saw her hand extending to take his bell and reacted in an instant. Making eye contact, his sharingan met her widening emerald gaze. Putting Sakura Haruno under genjutsu was no easy task considering her great predisposition in that domain, but it was one of Sasuke's special aptitudes. And although she dispelled the illusion a second later, it was enough for him to grab her wrists and force them behind her back, rendering her defenseless.

"Don't underestimate _me_ , Sakura."

The medic winced at the uncomfortable position she was in, but Sasuke only held her tighter in fear that she would infuse chakra into her muscles to break free. He reached out for the bell on her waistband but was stopped when no less than a dozen shuriken were thrown his way. Resolved not to let go of Sakura, he stepped out of the way barely in time, receiving a few cuts on his left shoulder. His gaze shifted to the ground as he noticed a kunai at his feet, an explosive parchment attached to it.

Sasuke cursed under his breath. Acting on pure instinct, he threw Sakura over his injured shoulder in a hurry and jumped away just as the blast from the explosion resounded. He winced at the throbbing pain on his shoulder when he landed on a nearby tree branch. Despite her thin figure, Sakura's weight was a bit much for his new prosthesis. Sasuke clenched his teeth as he stepped back down less gracefully then he usually would have, a knee on the ground and the pink haired jounin crouching beside him.

"Don't chill out just yet!" Naruto's voice was heard from behind the cloud of dust produced by the deflagration.

Sasuke lifted up his eyes to face an impressive amount of shuriken and kunai flying rapidly their way. Swiftly drawing his kusanagi, he stood up and countered the attack with a lightning infused swipe of his katana. The Uchiha noticed Sakura armed with a kunai in each hand alongside him as she helped blocking the majority of the weapons. It didn't seem like the assault would stop though, whenever a wave was neutralized, another always followed immediately afterwards, more powerful and dangerous every time. Sasuke sent an explosive kunai back to its expeditor with a powerful slash of his sword, only to be confronted by three more a second later.

Cursing again, he unleashed a greater amount of chakra to fend off the three new incoming projectiles and a few others on the sides. _'This isn't good'_ he thought, his jaw tightening as he kept warding off the multitude of weapons _'We have to counterattack. If one of us blocks the weapons then the other should be able to assail the attackers, but Sakura can't use long range ninjutsu and she won't be able to repel all these by herself'_. A cry of pain next to Sasuke brought him out of his thoughts. Glancing at Sakura, he saw her on the ground with two shuriken stuck in her shoulder and a kunai deep in her thigh. The young man cursed not so quietly this time and infused more chakra into his sword to increase its length and parry more efficiently. Now not only kunai and shuriken were thrown at them but also some large fuma shuriken and hardly visible senbon.

Breathless, Sasuke was expecting another assault but was surprised to see something much worse glinting behind the dust flying on the battlefield. A yell was heard on the other side as two razor sharp rasen shuriken soared dangerously fast towards the Uchiha and the pink haired medic. Obsidian orbs dilating, Sasuke analyzed the situation in a flash: he was unable to move fast enough to avoid Naruto's technique because of the senbons stuck everywhere on his body, he also couldn't leave Sakura defenseless behind him but carrying her away in this state was out of the question. Enraged, he opted for his only alternative:

"Susano'o!" The dark giant appeared in a flash of purplish light around its user, effectively shielding both him and Sakura from the attack. The blast echoed in the distance when the two rasen shuriken collided violently with the rock hard armor, unable to break it.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura limped to his side. She had had enough time to more or less heal the most prominent wound on her leg and had closed the deep gash even though blood was still dripping on her thigh. Besides that she still had many cuts on her body and face as well as some dark bruises on her calves. Sakura observed the many senbon planted in Sasuke's limbs, pushing back unwanted memories. "Are you okay?"

"Hn" he gave a short nod. Asking her the same question would have been pointless since he had just inspected her and concluded that she wasn't 'okay' for a training session standard.

"Ah ha!" Naruto appeared in front of them closely followed by Kakashi, both looking extremely pleased. Sasuke glared at the grinning blond as his Susano'o faded away.

"Don't give me that look teme! You lost again, you gotta get used to it!" Naruto bragged as he crossed his arms behind his head.

"Indeed" Kakashi added, fishing out a copy of Icha Icha Paradise from his item pouch. "The rules forbid you to use your mangekyou sharingan, therefore by summoning Susano'o, you are disqualified."

"But!" Sakura was outraged "Two rasen shuriken were too much! How were we supposed to defend ourselves against that!?"

Kakashi smirked under his mask, turning the pages of his book to find the passage he wanted, before replying to his former pupil. "Don't you remember the original goal of the bells exercise?" Upon receiving nothing but a blank look in response, Kakashi sighed, hid his face behind the orange cover of his novel and answered for her "Teamwork."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock, Naruto let out a stupid laugh and Sasuke glared harder. "That was all part of your plan" the latter said in a dark tone.

"Right on!" Naruto cheered, enjoying the sight of his rival's increasing frown. "Kakashi-sensei copied this technique of Tenten's some time ago and used it to overwhelm you guys so that I could throw two rasen shuriken –which ISN'T against the rules- and make Sasuke cheat by using Susano'o!"

"And in case you still didn't use it, we were free to retrieve your bells when you were knocked out after taking such a powerful direct attack" the sixth Hokage completed his former pupil's explanation.

"You could have killed us!" Sakura cried out, scandalized at her teammates' careless behavior.

Kakashi eyed her knowingly "We all know that it takes more than a rasen shuriken to bring any of us down. I bet you two wouldn't even have been completely K.O. after that."

He had a point. Sasuke and Sakura weren't just any shinobi, that was why they could put up with such an offensive.

"Ah!" Naruto suddenly interjected. "Sakura-chan you're bleeding!"

' _You expected her to come out unscathed after this?'_ Sasuke thought, still fuming about the unfair tactic his former sensei and the ramen freak had used to take them down. Sakura gave the blond a phony smile before limping and stopping right in front of him. There, she looked up at Naruto with innocent eyes before punching him hard in the jaw.

Landing face first on the ground with a big thud, Naruto yelled "What the heck Sakura-chan!?" He sat up and massaged his painful cheek after spitting some dirt out of his mouth.

"You deserved it" she replied, a satisfied smile adorning her lips. Sasuke smirked in agreement but it quickly faded when he began pulling out the senbon stuck in his skin one by one.

"Ah! Sasuke-kun, let me help with that." The emerald eyed jounin quickly said upon noticing the Uchiha's struggle not to wince at the stinging pain inflicted by the needles.

Sasuke gave her a concerned look behind his bangs "Your leg."

"It can wait a few minutes, just sit down." She instructed, pointing at the ground.

"I'd like to stay a bit longer kids, but duty's calling. See you!" Kakashi interrupted out of the blue. He waved at his students and Naruto didn't even have time to ask him to wait before the silver haired man disappeared in a puff of smoke. The blond lay flat on his stomach in defeat.

"He never changes…" Sakura sighed tiredly. She glanced at the still standing Sasuke and pouted, making her way to him in a few labored steps. Once in front of him, the young woman put her hands on his shoulders and gave a strong push downwards to the ground, indicating him to sit once again.

He complied, repressing a sigh. While they silently removed the metal needles, Sasuke found himself observing her again. Sakura's arms were covered with cuts, just like her legs and face, but it reassured him that these wounds were only minor. Her small ungloved hands worked precisely from his shoulders to his elbows, particularly careful with his left arm. The medic focused her gaze on his injuries to heal them faster after the senbon were taken out, but the raven haired shinobi also noticed worry deep within her viridian eyes. Sasuke frowned a bit, then spoke with a carefully composed face.

"I'm fine Sakura, you should heal your leg now." In Sasuke language, it meant _'don't worry so much about me and take care of yourself for once'_.

"I'm almost done" Sakura responded without looking up.

"What about me Sakura-chan? Can you fix me up afterwards?" Naruto mumbled, rolling over to face his two teammates.

Nothing but silence met his inquiry "C'mon, you're meeaaaan…" Sasuke was about to tell him to shut up when suddenly ruffling was heard in the bushes around the training grounds. Naruto stood up hastily, immediately alert for any sign of danger. He was surprised though, to find a pair of children running past the bush and straight to him.

"Wow! That was so awesome!" The first cheered, grabbing the lower part of the blond's shirt.

"Can you teach me that technique?" His companion asked eagerly, looking up at Naruto with big puppy eyes.

"Wh…What?" Naruto was quite puzzled at the sudden assault.

"And you with the weird headband!" the first brown haired boy pointed at the Uchiha on the ground. "What was that big purple thing? Can we learn it?"

Sasuke let out a bored 'tss' and resumed his previous activity. Sakura couldn't help the amused smile from forming on her lips as she helped him. It wasn't long before a dark clad jounin instructor appeared from behind the bushes with a third genin at his side, apologizing a thousand times over on his students' behalf. Naruto told him to relax with an uneasy smile on his face as the kids kept questioning him about his technique.

"I'm sorry, we were going to train here today" The jounin explained, bowing his head once more "But since you were already there when we arrived –only about twenty minutes ago, don't worry- and the kids wanted to watch you, we stayed until you were done, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry dude, as long as they enjoyed the show!" Naruto gave a toothy grin, ruffling one of the boy's hair. Unfortunately for him, they started bickering, screaming and gripping his shirt again right afterwards.

"About that jutsu!"

"Teach it to me!"

"No me!"

The children bounced around a bemused Naruto, making Sakura giggle lightly and Sasuke smirk. Most of the senbon had been taken out of his body so the Uchiha made to stand up but was forced down again by Sakura.

"I'm alright now…" he complained, eyeing her hand on his upper left arm.

"Just one more thing" the pink haired girl studied his face with a gentle look. The tip of her fingers glowed a light green as she slowly lifted her hand up to delicately brush against his cheek where a thin cut was still staining his pale skin with blood. Obsidian eyes widened slightly when the young shinobi realized the foreign gesture didn't disturb him, that he even liked the warmth of her soft touch. Sasuke was never fond of physical contact, so he would never admit it, but in that split second he had wished for Sakura's hand to linger on his cheek a bit longer, to feel more of this tender sensation that belonged to a deeply buried past. During the long months he was gone, Sasuke had forgotten how the kunoichi's comforting presence always soothed him and now that he finally remembered, he chastised himself for wanting this feeling to last.

Sakura withdrew her hand and tilted her head to the side in confusion at the strange look her raven haired teammate was giving her. Despite the disappointment he felt at the fleeting moment's end, Sasuke's eyes softened "Thanks." A smile instantly lit up the medic's face at this word.

It didn't take long for Sakura to heal her leg as well as her other injuries completely. Once she was done, Sasuke offered his right hand to pull her up, which she gladly accepted.

"I…I don't know guys…Rasen shuriken is kinda complicated you see…" Naruto stammered, still trying to nicely push away the three impatient genins around him.

"I'm not like these idiots, I'll manage!" One of the little boys boasted, pointing at his two comrades.

"Don't listen to him! Teach it to me!" Another pushed his teammate away, looking up at Naruto with eager green eyes.

"But…" The jinchuriki had no idea what to do. He gazed at the jounin instructor for help but the older man provided nothing more than an uneasy shrug. Naruto sighed and watched the boys excitedly jumping up and down in front of him with an apologetic look "…Maybe when you grow up guys, but not now sorry."

The three gaped in both disbelief and disappointment but the green eyed one was fastest to recover "Gah, you're no fun!" He placed his hands on his hips in a proud posture and turned to face Sasuke behind them "Hey you! Teach us the purple giant thing instead!"

The Uchiha glared, not liking the small boy's bossy tone in the slightest. He stole a glance at Sakura beside him; her eyes told him not to be too harsh. Repressing another sigh, he answered "No."

The pink haired medic almost facepalmed at that. Despite Sasuke's innate excellence at everything he did, he still had to improve his pedagogic skills greatly. The boy's voice became more high pitched with his rising temper "Why the heck not!? Tell me!"

The other two boys walked to join their comrade, mirroring his irritated frown. Sasuke sighed this once. He didn't want to waste his time with these annoying brats so he made his way to them and crouched down to be at eye level with the three genins.

He fixed his onyx orbs on them and spoke in his usual deep voice "You can't learn this jutsu…" Sasuke closed then slowly reopened his eyes to reveal his eternal mangekyou sharingan. The boys jumped at his unnatural blood red gaze "…unless you have eyes like mine."

The way he said it made the kids cower behind their green eyed friend who did his very best not to scurry away to his sensei. Sasuke smirked and stood up as his eyes turned pitch black again, though he didn't expect Sakura to come up to the group and nudge him in the ribs.

"Don't worry" she reassured the trembling boys, glaring at the raven haired young man from the corner of her eye. "He can be scary at times but he really isn't a bad guy."

"Hn" Sasuke grunted in slight annoyance and crossed his arms over his chest.

Naruto couldn't help but foolishly add "Just like you Sakura-chan."

After that Sasuke made a mental note not to ever let a comment like that carelessly slip out of his mouth unless he wanted to be sent flying half a mile away by one of Sakura's sucker punches.

The pink haired kunoichi and her remaining teammate retrieved a barely conscious Naruto on their way to town about a quarter of an hour later after they had parted with the jounin instructor and his pupils. When he finally regained his senses, the blond started rubbing his swollen cheek, unable to do more than mumble obviously painful apologies to the medic in hopes that she would heal him. Sasuke had to admit he felt a bit sorry for his best friend.

"Pleashe Shakura-shan…" Naruto slurred, wincing with every syllable.

"No." Both male members of team 7 knew how stubborn Sakura could be when she wanted to. But the fun was, they were the same as her.

"Shakura-shan…"

"I said no, Naruto" she spat, proudly lifting her chin up. She usually wasn't that nasty but he needed to pay a bit longer for what he had said.

The jinchuriki couldn't sigh in defeat because of the pain but instead lifted glittering puppy dog eyes to his old friend, resorting to his last asset "But Hinata-shan will be worriedsh…"

Sakura jumped slightly at the reminder of her teammate's girlfriend. She gazed sideways at Naruto to take in the bruises tainting every visible part of his body and his purple colored cheek . _'Hinata will definitely not like this…'_ she thought, biting her lower lip. If she saw him like this, the Hyuuga girl would most likely fuss worriedly around Naruto for a good thirty minutes and maybe even faint before forcing him to go to the hospital. It was only natural that Hinata would be concerned about her boyfriend's well-being, seeing the one you love in pain was never a pleasant thing. Sakura glanced at Sasuke then, but immediately looked away when his dark eyes met hers.

The medic suppressed the small blush on her cheeks and sighed "Alright, just sit down, I'll fix you up."

Naruto would have smile gleefully hadn't it been for his injury. He simply winked as she showed him to a nearby bench. The two sat down while the aloof Uchiha leaned on the border of it, his gaze fixed on the grayish winter sky.

"Don't move" Sakura instructed, her glowing palm reaching up to Naruto's injured cheek. Sasuke watched as she healed the blond with the same caution and worry she had displayed earlier, her eyes caring and soft like they had been to him in the training grounds. For some reasons he still could not explain, the burning sensation he had felt back with Kiba, Lee and Shino welled up inside him again. Sasuke averted his gaze and clenched his teeth a little tighter at the realization, though he was careful not to let anything show through on the outside. The dark haired shinobi knew he was being selfish as jealousy consumed him again. He hated the fact that he couldn't help wishing the hand Sakura placed on Naruto's shoulder after she was done was on his, that the gentle look in her viridian orbs would be for him alone and not for his stupid rival…

Naruto thanked her with a large grin and stood up energetically. However, the emerald eyed girl remained seated on the bench, turning around to see Sasuke seemingly deep in thoughts behind her. Sakura knew she didn't have very long before Naruto started babbling again so she summoned all her courage to bring up the subject that had been on her mind for days.

"Sasuke-kun… It's been more than a week since you came back…"

She saw the Uchiha's back tense only for a split second before he regained his composure.

"Hn" he replied, his back still facing her.

Naruto rapidly caught on the conversation "Yeah teme! How long do you plan on staying?" He asked cheerfully as always. Though when he saw Sakura's dreadful expression he promptly added "There's no rush you know! Just hang around here for as long as you please." The jinchuriki scratched the back of his head uneasily, realizing his blunder. He too didn't want to see his friend leave again for who knows how long, but he also knew the Uchiha's departures were always harder on Sakura.

Sasuke finally turned around and the pink haired medic quickly lifted neutral eyes to meet his, hiding as best as she could the apprehension he knew she felt. "I don't know yet…" Sakura's eyes flickered with joy at these words but she didn't let it show, or so she thought. The sharingan wielder noticed how she directed her gaze towards the ground and how her hand brushing a thin strand of pink hair behind her ear revealed a reassured smile. He frowned, knowing that he couldn't let her build her hopes up. "…I'll probably be gone by next weekend."

Sasuke wasn't surprised that only the howling of the wind blowing around them followed his announcement. He had to go, until he found redemption he wouldn't allow himself to stay and they all understood it. Sakura's eyes widening clearly showed that it shocked her to see him leaving so soon, especially knowing that he wouldn't be back in months, maybe years. Sasuke stared at her somehow apologetically for a bit longer until she stood up abruptly. Sakura remained still for a moment before flashing a gentle smile to both her teammates.

"I have to head back home, I still have paperwork left to do." She pushed back another windblown lock of hair behind her ear while her gaze lingered on Sasuke for a few seconds, as if memorizing the way the pale afternoon sun lit his features and how his messy dark bangs flew into his charcoal eyes. Her eyelids closed to visualize the picture engraved in her mind, then she spoke softly "It was nice training like that, I hope we can do it again next time!"

Without waiting for their reply, the pink haired jounin jogged away from them and turned around the corner of the street. Something was off, Naruto and Sasuke knew her well enough to see past her counterfeit smile.

The blond was first to voice his doubts, his tone low and suspicious "What's up with that phony smile?"

"…She only has Sundays off, right?" The Uchiha asked, staring downwards.

Naruto lifted an eyebrow in confusion at his comrade's inquiry "Yeah, why do you…Oh…" Realization hit him in the face and he mirrored his rival's glare at the ground.

What she had meant was that she would see Sasuke again months later, the next time he came back.

* * *

 _ **A.N/:**_ _I'm sorry for the late update, will it be more acceptable if I say that I had a big math test on Friday and had to spend my whole Thursday night revising? I had promised myself to update every Thursday in tribute to the original Naruto manga/anime but I only lasted three weeks... No worries though, chapter 5 will be up next Thursday without fail!_

 _As always, thank you for the follows, reviews and favorites! This chapter had a little more action, I intend to keep it that way in the following chapters with a mix between calm periods and fighting._

 _Feel free to tell me what you thought about this chapter in a review, I read them all~_


	5. Part 1 - Chapter 5

_**FLY AWAY- Part 1 : Evasion**_

 _ **Chapter 5**_

It had been the last straw for him.

Right after Sakura had left on Sunday afternoon, Sasuke had exploded, internally screaming at himself, trying to reason with his mind and even his heart, to no success. When he had been dead set on going alone, every hour that went by since he came back to Konoha gave him a reason not to.

Sakura was unable to bloom here in this village where she had spent all her life. She longed for a freedom that no one there could give her, not Lee, Kiba, Shino or even Naruto. Her job at the hospital was draining her as well; she clearly needed a break, anyone would guess that much. What she sought was nothing more than an opportunity to escape it all and see the world again, what she had missed after the war, and all the things she had yet to discover.

Who was he to be selfish again, he who had never given a thought to anyone but himself for a majority of his life? Sakura was always there for him, there had not been a time when she had not strived for Sasuke's sake, caring for him no matter how low he fell. Now after everything, he couldn't deny that he liked her presence by his side, that he sometimes wished she was there when he felt loneliest, lost out there under the stars. Sakura was able, strong willed and would not act as the burden she used to be if she were to travel with him, in the contrary, her gentle smile would surely be of assistance.

Sasuke could make her happy at last, after all the tears she had shed by his fault, so why did he hesitate? Neither his pride nor his name would get in the way. His decision was made.

* * *

After finishing her usual paperwork at about two a.m., Sakura had tossed and turned, restlessly tangled in the sheets of her bed, tiredly drowsing for the rest of the night, unable to find peace with all the thoughts drifting through her mind. When she would wake up this Saturday morning, Sasuke would be gone, and she would not see him in months…perhaps more. There was also her job…How long would she be able to stand it? How long would she manage to handle all of her duties? The kunoichi had stopped counting the times she had fallen asleep on her desk…No, her help was needed in the hospital, especially in winter… But Sasuke…Her heart already ached at the prospect of how she would miss him…

Seeing her beloved again after so long gave Sakura the strength to hold on a little more even when everyone at work kept sneezing and coughing carelessly in her face… or at least she tried to make herself believe so. In fact, all she had wanted was to spend as much time with him as possible during the past week, not stay imprisoned in Konoha's hospital becoming a zombie… Now she would have to cope with both her job and his departure…

The curtains of Sakura's room were powerless to block the light flickering from the curtain-covered window beside her bed. Sakura sniffled then turned to face the opposite side of the room, but finding no more comforting darkness there, she put her pillow over her head with a displeased and tired moan. Still, when she somehow succeeded in banishing all depressing thoughts of her job and Sasuke from her mind, she couldn't help but wonder why her room was so light and not bathed in shadows like it usually was at 5:20 a.m. when she woke up for work. She debated officially waking up for a minute or two, then finally opted for a rapid check of her alarm clock. The young woman lifted her cushion just a bit to peek out from under it. However the plushy item was soon sent flying when her droopy eyes went wide at the vivid red numbers flashing on her digital clock.

11:43 a.m.

Sakura shouted a loud "FUCK!" simultaneously jumping out of bed and starting for her closet to retrieve her pastel green pull-over and white calf-length pants. Hastily throwing them on along with her red headband and cherry blossom necklace, she grabbed her white blouse on the wooden chair of her desk and ran as fast as her still sleepy state would let her to her apartment's living room. The medic went straight for the kitchen cupboards to find a cereal bar, mumbled flurries of colorful words under her breath as she did so, and picked up her notebook where her day's appointments were noted, only to let it slip out of her hands when she lifted her instantly widening eyes to see a familiar figure observing her from the couch.

"Hn" Sasuke chuckled in amusement, putting down a book concerning herbal medicine that he had previously been reading.

Sakura's immediate impulse was to freak out at the man sitting in her living room like he owned the place when he had actually never even been to her apartment before, but she quickly waved it off, settling for utter shock and a baffled expression instead. Though she couldn't help the rosy blush of embarrassment from creeping on her cheeks.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

That was when Sakura put the pieces together: _he_ was the reason her alarm clock had not rung this morning and was responsible for the verbal beating Tsunade was going to give her when she arrived so late for work. A frown appeared on her face as she -not so collectedly- replied "Sasuke-kun! What the heck did you do that for?"

"You needed to rest."

His nonchalant response frustrated Sakura even more. Rest? For what? To her great dismay, she always did the same thing every single day despite her lack of sleep. One morning of sleeping in wasn't going to change anything. _'But it was nice of him to care about me…No! Focus Sakura, you're angry at him right now!'_ She scolded herself internally. Her hand reached up to rub her forehead in an attempt to calm herself but it was in vain. The kunoichi sighed heavily, now glaring openly at her teammate as a ton of questions fell freely from her mouth:

"Tsunade's gonna murder me because of you! You wanted to have me killed before you were off? What are you doing here anyway, and how did you know where I live!? I thought you were leaving this morning…Seriously, what are you doing here?" This last inquiry was spoken more quietly than the rest and with an averted gaze, probably because Sakura was not too sure what to hope for as an answer. _'Maybe he wanted to say goodbye…No, it's probably a prank'_ She wondered silently, still keeping her annoyed façade on the outside. Years of experience taught her to never build her hopes too high when it came to this man.

Silence fell in the two linked rooms as Sasuke simply stood up without a word, walked to put his borrowed book back on the shelf and then turned to face her "I came to tell you something." He made his way to the pink haired medic and stood behind the counter opposite her, lowering his gaze to meet hers "Tsunade won't be mad at you because you're taking a vacation."

"Huh!?" If Sakura's eyes had been wide before they were now like saucers.

Sasuke turned his head to hide his smirk. He produced a neatly folded paper from his pocket and handed it to her. Sakura hastily took it and recognized her master's handwriting. She read diagonally _'…The Uchiha informed me…overworked … insisted that…a little vacation…We agreed… he found two young medics_ … _to replace you while you are gone… hope you will enjoy…See you later, Tsunade.'_ Disbelief washed over the kunoichi as she read the letter again then stared up at Sasuke with incredulous eyes.

"What does she mean by 'while you are gone'?"

The Uchiha stared back, hiding his amusement as best as he could "What do you think?"

Sakura wasn't dumb and she wasn't one to hide in denial when feeling lost, so she kept looking straight into Sasuke's deep charcoal irises, searching for the answers he wouldn't voice. The fact that he had asked for a vacation on her behalf and that he had most likely been waiting for her to 'rest' before he left only meant one thing, but it was too hard for Sakura to believe.

"Sasuke-kun, I…You can't…" she stuttered helplessly. "What about my parents? And Naruto?"

"They'll be at the gates to see us off at midday."

"…'Us'?" Sakura repeated in a feeble voice. Sasuke nodded but the medic expressed her doubts before he could speak "What about your redemption? You told me you needed to be alone for this! That I had nothing to do with your sins!"

"I…changed my mind."

"No, I can't…" Sakura lowered her eyes to observe the counter "I know this is very important for you so I can't go. I'd just be an annoyance to you." No matter how much she wanted to be by his side, she could not come with him. It had been his decision in the past and it now became hers. Sakura knew how dangerous a couple of words from him could be to her determination, but this time…

"No, you wouldn't."

The pink haired girl met Sasuke's gaze for a second before averting hers again. His eyes were kind, honest, full of many emotions that he always managed to safely keep in and that Sakura couldn't quite decipher. She blushed a little more at this indirect compliment. He probably hadn't done it on purpose, but now she felt her resolve wavering. All marks of attention from Sasuke were good to take but still, she needed to stay strong, not have her knees become jelly because of his words. The medic sighed, frustrated.

This time Sasuke was first to talk "You said you wanted to see the world. I can show it to you."

Sakura's frustration turned into desperation, tinted with the old sorrow and pain she always had a hard time casting away "But Sasuke-kun! I can't do that! Don't you see it's not right for you!? You said it yourself two years ago, you wanted to find out more about Kaguya, help people on your travels so as to redeem yourself… Dammit! I thought I was not involved in your sins! I still have nothing to do with your past and I…"

"Sakura" he cut her off in a dark and loud tone that she wasn't used to hear anymore. The young woman immediately stopped talking and a short gasp escaped her lips as she stared up at her teammate, afraid that she had upset him. Sasuke sighed. Everything Sakura had said was true but even now it was clear that she wanted to be a part of it all, only if he would let her. The Uchiha was not sure as of yet whether he would or not, though at least one thing was certain: this time he wanted her by his side on his journey. Sasuke's pride yelled at him for admitting this but his own promise that nothing would get in his way gave him both the courage and the will to swallow it. So his eyes diffidently fell to the floor before returning to her viridian ones, pure sincerity engraved inside them and a slight blush forming on his cheeks "Do you…want to come with me?"

The combination of Sasuke's question and the silence that swept over the two shinobis like a gust of wind was the last touch to make Sakura's last remains of determination crumble into dust. THE Uchiha Sasuke had just swallowed his pride to ask her to do something with him. This simple fact was outstanding in itself, but knowing that his offer involved several months of sticking together while traveling the world exactly like she had been wishing for in her wildest dreams… No more paperwork, no more boring appointments and exhausting last minute surgeries, no more bashings, three hours night's sleep and the dark bags that came with it, but also no more worrying about him, when he would come back, where he was or whether he was alright or not while away from her sight. Not only that, but his accepting her presence beside him on his journey meant much more than a simple vacation, even if she didn't know precisely _what_ yet, Sasuke's ever mystifying dark eyes told her that much.

Sakura felt her heart beating madly within her chest, both fluttering and sending electric waves all throughout her body. It made her want to jump up and down, though at the same time she was unable to move an inch. All her feelings for Sasuke came rushing back like the blood now reddening her whole face. She tried to clear her throat but let a little strangled high-pitched sound escape her mouth instead. Her eyelids shut tightly and her nails almost digging into the wooden counter to summon up her courage, she finally took a deep breath, reopened her eyes and asked quietly "…Are you sure?"

Sasuke relaxed at last and nodded as the smallest of a smile graced his lips without his knowledge "Yes."

Sakura's eyes widened even more. For some reason, she felt them sting then water in an instant. She quickly blinked the oncoming tears of joy away and turned her back to Sasuke to hide them. _'Calm down dammit! It's not like he just proposed or something!'_ the kunoichi reprimanded herself _'Breathe…Just remember to breathe!'_

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and turned to face the Uchiha again with a radiant smile, literally glowing "Sasuke-kun, thank you!"

"Hn."

It only took Sakura about fifteen minutes to change into her jounin outfit and pack; she couldn't take more than her shoulder bag would let her after all. She excitedly thought of their upcoming journey, a gleeful smile plastered on her face the whole time. Sasuke waited in the living room, somewhat anxious. He was relieved of course, that he had managed to convince his teammate to come, but then when they walked through the gates of Konoha, he knew the real thing would begin.

The walk to the village's exit was spent in silence, mostly because Sakura was too busy preventing herself from hugging her companion tightly in gratefulness while Sasuke was still planning their itinerary options. Once at the gates the two cloaked figures were surprised to meet a rather large crowd made of the remaining members of Konoha 11, as well as Sakura's parents and surprisingly enough, Tsunade.

Sasuke observed speechless. Never would so many people have come had he departed on his journey alone. It was only natural though, for the sociable and kind Sakura to have so many friends there to see her off. The young Uchiha couldn't help but notice the Haruno couple smiling and chatting along with the group as they waited for their daughter. He averted his eyes uneasily.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted once he spotted the familiar pink haired medic. He made his way to her in a jog, complaining loudly "I got the news from Sasuke last night at Ichiraku's, you could have warned us!"

She felt all her friends' stares directed at her, mirroring the blond's indignation "Well, I just learnt about it this morning myself so…" Sakura replied bashfully.

"Whaaaaat? Teme!"

As Naruto began screaming reproaches at his rival, the others took turns to bid Sakura their goodbye. Ino called her 'billboard brow' for the umpteenth time in her life and engulfed the medic in a hug that squeezed the life out of her, Tenten pried the blonde off so that Sakura could breathe again, Lee cried rivers and once again proclaimed his undying love for her in all his 'youthful' glory, Hinata smiled nicely but gave her turn to Sakura's parents. Kizashi started ranting about all the things she had to be careful about, all the while crying much like Lee who was still on the ground. His last warning earned him a good smack from both his wife and daughter though as he lowered his voice, advicing Sakura to not let Sasuke get too cozy with her. On the contrary, Mebuki put a hand on the young woman's shoulder and wished her good luck with a knowing wink. Sakura had to repress a blush at that.

Kiba and Shino then approached her. As usual, the dog trainer spoke both for himself and his silent teammate.

"It's cool that you can go after all" he scratched the back of his head, eyeing the pink haired jounin kindheartedly "but we could have gone with you, you know."

Sakura recalled their conversation last week and smiled kindly at him "Yeah, I…"

"Sakura." She turned at the sound of her name. A stone faced Sasuke was glaring at Kiba and Shino from the corner of his eye as he shook himself free from Naruto's grip on his collar. "We have to go."

She only had time to cast him a curious look before she felt a new hand on her shoulder "Just wait a little more Uchiha, will you?"

Sakura immediately recognized her master's voice. Tsunade stood before her, the wind blowing in her light tresses and a serious look on her face. "I have a few things to tell you before you go. First, don't worry about the hospital. Sasuke unexpectedly brought me two medics from Kirigakure to replace you while you are gone and although their skill doesn't rival yours, their help will be enough." Sakura let out a quiet breath that she didn't know she had been holding. For a moment she had thought Tsunade was going to drag her back to Hell for more exhausting paperwork. The older blonde cleared her throat at her former student's reaction "Secondly…" Sakura looked up right away, tensing like a soldier standing at attention "…Take care of yourself."

The green eyed kunoichi blinked in slight surprise then smiled genuinely at her mentor; but the motherly tone soon disappeared as the fifth Hokage looked over Sakura's shoulder at Sasuke "And you make sure she comes back in one piece or you'll have Hell to pay Uchiha, trust me!"

Naruto's ranting stopped at the woman's threat. Having experienced Tsunade's wrath, Naruto couldn't help but fear for his friend if Sakura came back to the village with even one scratch. However, a simple "Hn" was the raven haired man's one-word response.

Naruto followed his teammates closest to the huge doors of Konoha and a bit away from the rest of the group. "Well, I guess that's it" he said with a counterfeit and lopsided grin.

Silence engulfed them except for the sound of harsh gusts of wind blowing hair and cloaks. The cold made Sakura shiver as she pushed a lock of pink hair out of her eyes and sneezed quietly. Like Sasuke, she stared at the jinchuriki knowingly "Naruto…"

The blond despondently turned away from them and started slowly walking back towards the others "Have fun guys!" His voice sounded so fake, it was unbearable for Sakura.

"Naruto!" She called more loudly, forcing her friend to look at her. He stopped in his tracks abruptly, seemingly rooted on the spot for a moment, before he pivoted very slowly in a jerky way, almost like a puppet. As expected his face bore a deep frown as he bit his bottom lip to keep the tears from falling free on his whiskered cheeks. His creased eyebrows wrinkled part of his face, reminding Sakura of an upset child. She smiled softly "I'll miss you too."

With that, Naruto launched at Sakura to encircle her body with his battle built arms. He hugged her tightly, like a brother would his sister. The medic brought her arms up to his back and returned the embrace, not embarrassed in the least. The two didn't hug on a regular basis, but Naruto's presence was familiar to her, so familiar that he was like her own family. When he let her go after a while she smiled up at him reassuringly and he flashed her his infamous bright and toothy grin.

Naruto gazed at his rival "Remember that old Tsunade's warning works for me too. Take care of Sakura-chan, teme."

Sasuke nodded "I'll keep it in mind." Sakura blushed again and hid her face behind her cloak at that.

"Oh! And don't worry, I'll hit Kakashi sensei in the face with his porn books for not coming today!"

"Don't, he probably has too much work" Sakura giggled at the jinchuriki's childish antics.

Naruto chuckled in turn "I'll keep you guys a seat at Ichiraku's when you come back! My treat!"

"Right, and don't think we're gonna forget this detail" the kunoichi replied cheerfully.

Sakura only stopped waving once she couldn't see the large doors behind her anymore because of the wind lifting up dust on the road. Finally she was there, the village behind her and the world ahead. Nothing would stop her, not even Lee's shouts of how lucky Sasuke was to travel with her. So many questions crossed Sakura's mind as excitement once more built up inside her. She shook her head to try and calm herself, but obviously failed.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke inquired, puzzled by his teammate's strange behavior.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Hm…Where are we headed by the way?" Sakura couldn't help the big grin on her face as she asked.

Sasuke chuckled at her childlike enthusiasm. Maybe she had spent too much time with Naruto. "We'll go to Kiri first. I have to tell the twins' parents that they arrived in Konoha safe and sound."

"The twins?"

"The two medics who are replacing you."

She let out a small 'oh' in understanding and remained quiet as they walked on the dusty road leading to Konoha's woods. But inside, Inner Sakura was dancing madly screaming a loud 'shannaro!' at the prospect of all the adventures awaiting them.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _AAaarg! I almost made it! I know I promised to post this on Thursday without fail but since it's only a bit over midnight (French time) I'm still fine, right? I hope the jet lag will play in my favor_ …

Anyway, this chapter was the end of the PROLOGUE. What, you thought you were already well into the story? Well, nope, now the real thing starts for me as Sasuke and Sakura just left Konoha towards new adventures. I hope you will all like it!^^

I took my time to work on Naruto and Sakura's goodbyes almost as much as the whole big part about Sasuke convincing Sakura to travel with him, so I'd be overjoyed to have some feedback, good or bad, about it, or even some questions if you'd like. I will answer all of them, so feel free to ask me anything.

Thank you all so much for the support up until now and (hopefully) see you next week! :)


	6. Part 2 - Chapter 6

_**FLY AWAY- Part 2: White Heather**_

 _ **Chapter 6**_

Sakura sat hugging her knees before the campfire after finishing her dinner. Her teeth were chattering and she kept sniffling more or less discreetly in an attempt to not seem un-lady like in front of Sasuke. She did her very best, but considering that blowing her nose to her heart's content would be far worse for her image, Sakura was forced to keep her head lifted up towards the cloudy sky so that the snot would bother her less. She winced at her uncomfortable situation, squeezing her eyes shut to will herself to stop sniffling. Instead, she sneezed as the cold wind blew mercilessly in her face.

Sasuke looked up from his bento while munching on a slice of tomato. When Sakura met his gaze, she couldn't help but think of how handsome he looked even when he ate and chastised herself for acting so improperly in front of him. The Uchiha studied his companion for a while longer as she averted her eyes. Even with her cloak tightly wrapped around her body, he could still clearly see Sakura's trembling hand when she reached up to tuck a lock of pink hair behind her ear. Poker faced, Sasuke finished the last bite of his meal and put the closed wooden box back in his bag before breaking the silence.

"You're cold." It was really more of a statement than a question.

The kunoichi giggled nervously but still didn't answer so he proved his point by adding "You're shaking a lot."

"Really, am I?" Of course Sakura knew she was, but she couldn't start being annoying when they had only been traveling for a day! "It's because I'm so excited you know! It's been months since I last went out of Konoha!"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow at her "Don't act like Naruto."

Emerald green orbs widened in shock. "What? I'm not!" Being compared to her blond teammate wasn't something Sakura would let slide. "What makes you say this?"

The raven haired man chuckled snidely, shifting from his cross legged position. He bent up his knee and rested his right hand on it, never leaving the young medic's eyes. "You're being childish like Naruto. That's all."

Sakura was shocked, utterly speechless for a moment, but then Sasuke rummaged for something inside his bag and handed her a white handkerchief. She panicked, trying to think of an excuse so as not to literally blow away her 'glamour' façade.

"Sasuke-kun, that's err…"

"Take it."

The medic's eyes wandered to find his blank ones but she shyly looked away after a few seconds, sighing and eventually reaching out her hand to seize the item with a small 'thank you'. The moment she had been dreading had now come. Squeezing her eyes shut, Sakura blew her nose as quietly yet as effectively as she could and then…Nothing. Sasuke wasn't screwing up his face in disgust or even laughing at her. Instead, he had unrolled the map he had retrieved from his bag and was placing a few items on its corners to keep it in place because of the wind. He turned to meet Sakura's curious gaze in a manner of checking that he had her attention before starting to explain the details of their itinerary to Kiri. She listened distractedly at first because of her surprise at his non-existent reaction to her blowing her nose, but soon started paying attention as he pointed to a particular area on the paper.

"…Since we already passed Otafuku Gai we'll have to follow the river and through that region."

The lowering of his voice intrigued the kunoichi "What's wrong? Is there anything dangerous in the south?"

"No…" Sasuke sighed and pushed his bangs out of his eyes with his hand. "I've been there before…" Sakura's intense stare encouraged him to continue even though the memory remained unpleasant to him. "People in this region don't hold Uchihas in their hearts, especially me."

"What? Why?" Sakura inquired, sniffling. She blew her nose again in Sasuke's handkerchief before he could tell her to do so.

He turned away from his teammate to watch the red blazing sparks of the fire in front of them. The flames dancing violently with the wind were reflected in his emotionless yet pensive obsidian eyes as he spoke "It's complicated. I never knew the details but apparently, a girl from a nearby village went missing shortly after I stayed in this area. It turns out she was very appreciated by her neighbors and her disappearance was a great loss to everyone around there." The pink haired medic listened intently with her gaze lost in the flames like him. He continued more sternly "Rumors started spreading. People in the nearest villages blamed me because my departure coincided with hers."

"But you had nothing to do with it!" Sakura interjected. She sat more uptight and stared at him with vivid clear green eyes. It amazed the young man that she truly believed he was not guilty even when he had not given her any proof of his innocence. He nonetheless responded with the same serious tone.

"Yeah, but with my clan's reputation and my past they all jumped to conclusions."

"They have no right to make conjectures like that. It's just stupid" the kunoichi pouted, obviously annoyed by such a reaction from supposedly responsible adults. "What happened to the girl anyway?" Sasuke's sole response was a shrug, so she started rocking back and forth with her cloak tightly wrapped around her body and grumbled silly things like "Who do they think they are?" or "What's wrong with these people?" Sasuke's light chuckles soon interrupted her ranting and she turned to him in surprise, finding him smirking with a rare glint of playfulness in his eyes.

"You spend too much time with Naruto."

"What? No it's not true!" Sakura replied, scandalized that he was yet again comparing her to the blond. Her old rivalry with the jinchuriki for Sasuke's attention resurfaced at this moment, encouraging her to reaffirm herself and not stay in her friend's shadow "Besides it's not like I could, I spent all my days at the hospital."

"Hn" Sasuke chuckled again. He had found a touchy spot.

Sakura growled between clenched teeth. _'He wants to play that game? Fine…'_ she thought mischievously. Her tone became teasing as a Cheshire cat grin made its way to her rosy lips "Well, perhaps if you spend too much time with me you'll start yelling 'shannaro' in battle."

He froze, and Sakura clearly saw that twitch of his left eye. She laughed openly at Sasuke's stiff reaction but was unprepared for his comeback.

"Maybe I will when you'll say 'dattebayo' at the end of every sentence."

' _He didn't just say that…'_

They argued for a while longer despite the pitiless cold wind; until Sakura replied a low 'hn' to one of Sasuke's sarcastic questions, smirking with her eyes narrowed to perfect her imitation of the Uchiha's usual posture. His only answer was to unexpectedly throw a blanket at her and chuckle some more once it landed straight in her face.

"Sleep" he ordered, regaining his serious stance; though the amusement in his eyes betrayed him when Sakura looked hard enough.

The wind was still brushing strands of raven hair all over his face when Sasuke awoke first the next morning. He opened tired charcoal eyes and stared at the sky for a moment. The clouds had taken a blue tint since the sun had yet to rise. _'It will soon'_ Sasuke thought as he sat up on his sleeping mat to observe the iridescent border of sunlight shining behind a far away hill. He shivered slightly when a freezing draft managed to find its way under his blanket. His already alert eyes scanned his surroundings until they fell on Sakura's sleeping form on the ground next to him. She was facing her companion, curled into a ball and shivering every few seconds, probably because of the chilly air. Her light snores could be heard along with the whistling of the wind in the small clearing. She was still sniffling like last night and Sasuke noticed a peculiar red tinge on her cheeks that should not have been there with such cold.

The young man stared for a while longer before calling himself back to order. He contemplated waking up his teammate to start moving but decided against it when he remembered how tired she still was because of her job. _'We'll leave at sunrise'_ he decided soundlessly. Sasuke couldn't afford to let Sakura sleep in but fifteen more minutes wouldn't kill anybody.

So he leaned back down on his sleeping mat, placing one arm behind his head and the other on his stomach under the blanket. He thought about what was to come when they crossed the 'hostile' region of the south and when his tarnished reputation would finally be forgotten... But a small strangled sound beside him suddenly brought Sasuke out of his dark thoughts as he turned his head to observe the small pink haired jounin at his side. A quiet cough escaped her mouth every now and then in between two sniffles. Sasuke didn't know it was possible to cough while asleep. His eyes lingered on Sakura yet again and he noticed the handkerchief he had given her the previous night tightly clenched in her hand to prevent it from flying off with the wind. The reddish color of her cheeks was also still present and it intrigued him all the more. Sasuke didn't need a mirror to know that his own alabaster skin was as pale as ever despite the natural warmth of his body; however Sakura's normally peachy pale cheeks tainted crimson certainly were peculiar, not even the wind could have this effect.

This abnormality confused him at least as much as his unusual worry about the matter but he quickly waved it off, returning to the observation of the cloudy sky turning purple then gray with the dim rising sun. Minutes passed before another fit of coughing followed by sniffles attracted his attention. A sneeze; Sasuke turned his head. He saw Sakura trembling under the covers. This time he sat up more quickly and watched as her coughs became numerous and regular, along with her more frantic shaking due to the wind's increasing assaults. _'Something's off.'_

Sasuke turned to sit straighter in front of Sakura and reached out his right hand to touch her forehead. He accidently brushed against the kunoichi's bare shoulder and was shocked by the icy cold feeling of her skin. His hand traveled further up to her face, pushing a few bangs out of the way before resting against her boiling hot temple. He pulled away after a few seconds with the confirmation that something was wrong with his teammate.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's voice sounded hoarse in her sleepy state.

She was slowly waking up, probably because of his touch, but the shaking continued even after she sat up and covered herself completely with her blanket. She rubbed her eyes with the hand that wasn't holding Sasuke's handkerchief and smiled at the young man next to her "Mornin' Sasuke-kun."

"How are you feeling?" He asked, his tone void of emotion.

She made a confused pout before answering "A bit cold but…" a loud sneeze cut her off "…okay. And you?"

"Seriously Sakura." Sasuke wasn't one to be fooled so easily, her skin was frozen and she was still trembling.

"I feel okay, I swear!" Sakura gave him the most convincing smile she could muster so early in the morning. Besides it was the truth, she was okay…and shaking and frozen and hot at the same time and her throat hurt and her head too and her eyes wanted to stay closed…No she couldn't tell him that, she would **not** be annoying on the second day of their journey.

"You're sick" the raven haired ninja replied sternly, his eyes piercing into his companion's soul.

Of course Sakura knew she was _slightly_ sick -she was a medic-nin after all- but she would be just fine if she took a little home-made medicine from her bag later when he wasn't looking. Her green eyes were gentle and reassuring when she stared into his dark ones "I'll be fine Sasuke-kun, don't worry."

He frowned, then rolled up his sleeping mat, folded his blanket into his bag, stood up and looked down at Sakura. Naturally he would never plainly voice his concern, so he settled for handing her her discarded cloak "We're leaving."

Ten minutes later they were walking among bare trees and against harsh gusts of wind. Sakura trailed behind the Uchiha, making sure that the distance between them wasn't too large. Her legs felt like jelly and her head-ache had gotten worse, but not being left behind and acting as casually as possible had become her top priority. A few more coughs escaped her lips before she adopted a brisker pace. The kunoichi stumbled a few times but thankfully Sasuke's back was still turned to her whenever she looked up.

He wasn't fooled one bit. As a shinobi, he was trained to pick up the sound of Sakura's footsteps and analyze her walk to notice that it was irregular. Her difficultly suppressed ragged breaths also indicated that she had trouble breathing, most likely because of her blocked airways. The medic's constant sniffles confirmed this hypothesis.

"Woow! Aaaaaah!"

Sasuke turned around swiftly, only to see his teammate falling face first into the dirt. Sakura pushed herself up with her knees and elbows, flashing him a bright grin.

"Don't worry Sasuke-kun! It's nothing" she tried to reassure him, though the small 'ouch' that followed didn't go unnoticed by the young man.

He narrowed his eyes and watched her getting up before turning back to the road "Hn."

Sasuke wasn't entirely cold-hearted or deprived of emotions despite what he led most to believe, but Sakura was a stubborn girl, and when she was obviously dead set on keeping her strong façade around him this time again, nothing he would say or do would be able to change her mind and make her take it easy. He knew her well enough to figure out his only available option was to wait until they reached a village and stay there for a while until she got better.

A water drop fell on the top of the Uchiha's head as soon as this plan crossed his mind. Sasuke looked up and soon more rain poured down from the heavens. Cursing under his breath and putting his hood on, he quickly turned to Sakura, noticing she was doing the same.

"Well," she smiled "curse our luck."

"Let's hurry before it starts raining harder."

The weather wasn't kind with the two shinobis. The sky cried the whole day, from time to time gently, then harshly like the wind. In the end they were forced to set camp under the rocks of a waterfall, a humid shelter that nonetheless shielded them from the rain. The next morning was much like the previous one with Sakura shaking uncontrollably despite the fact that she had taken one of her antibiotics the other night.

"It's okay, it'll take effect soon" she insisted, smiling as always, her cheeks beet red because of the fever.

Sasuke's worry only increased with the knowledge that they hadn't covered much distance the day before and that the nearest villages would not easily offer assistance. The two members of team 7 were walking again beside the river and Sasuke was forced to stride much slower than he would have liked considering their predicament since Sakura had a hard time keeping up with him in her weakened state. The ebony haired ninja turned his head to check on her every two minutes or so, just to make sure that she was holding on like the tenacious kunoichi he knew she was.

Sakura masked her sighs with ragged breaths every time he did so. _'There you go'_ she thought _'I'm a burden again…All because of this stupid medicine! I did take some this morning but it has no effect whatsoever. If only I had added more vitamin C!'_ She was so mad at her patients for giving her their flue! How was she supposed to not be annoying to Sasuke, now? Even when she did her very best to walk steadily, her foggy feverish eyes made her step on the wrong parts of the path, making her slide on slippery wet rocks, stagger and trip all the time. Honestly, Sakura only wanted to close these bothering heavy eyelids. It was becoming so arduous…standing up, walking, staying awake… Her oh so hated forehead was burning up along with most of her face, yet the rest of her body remained icy cold, especially the tip of her fingers, nose and toes, which she couldn't feel anymore. The medic-nin finally realized that she was walking like a zombie when Sasuke looked at her over his shoulder and completely stopped to wait for his teammate.

Sakura squinted and almost believed his eyes let on that he was truly worried. "We're almost there" he said, blankly as always.

She nodded, then brutally shook her head once he turned back to face the road as her vision became blurry again. When Sakura opened her eyes it was only worse. She stopped in her tracks until her sight more or less stabilized and she could walk again. The next thing she knew, it was raining hard and rough. It felt like a great effort for her to bring up her shaky hand and put her hood on; her silky pink tresses were drenched by the time she managed to effectively protect herself. The young woman lost track of time as she kept walking, careful not to lose sight of her companion within the heavy rain curtain. Soon, painfully long minutes stretched into dreadfully excruciating hours. Sakura was so tired. She attempted to reach out to Sasuke. Her resolve remained, but however strong it was, there was a limit to her stubbornness. Her head was spinning and it hurt, she could barely see his dark cloak amid the trees, rain and grayish scenery.

A murmur among the clatter of the rain against rock and ground "Sasuke-kun…"

And she fell.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _I actually posted this chapter ON TIME! Sheesh, I'm glad. :)_

 _I hope you enjoyed it, and just to clarify, I made it so Sakura was so overworked that she misjudged the dosage of her remedies and they ended up being innefective. I know she is a great medic, but everybody makes mistakes. As for the vitamin C, well...I simply googled it!^_^"_

 _Thank you for all the support up until now and I hope that you guys will enjoy reading the next chapters just as much!_

 _As a quick reminder, reviews make me happy! (*puppy dog eyes no jutsu!) ;)_


	7. Part 2 - Chapter 7

_**FLY AWAY- Part 2 : White Heather**_

 _ **Chapter 7**_

Sasuke was able to catch the faint sound of Sakura's voice thanks to his alert senses. He turned in a flash, his body reacting on impulse at the sight of her falling form far behind. There was a brief glint of purple in his left eye with the activation of his rinnegan and a second later he was supporting her with an arm hooked around her stomach, the other on her shoulder. His hood had fallen off with the swiftness of his movement but he couldn't have cared less about getting wet with the rain. Silence, tension and worry overcame the young Uchiha's senses. The girl's name stayed caught in his throat and it was only when a few frail coughs escaped her lips that he could hear the harsh sound of the rain splattering them again.

She was unmoving in his arms, but still conscious. "Sakura" he finally called. A small shift of her shoulder under his prosthetic hand was her sole response. Sasuke realized how familiar this position felt when he helped the medic straighten up, with her leaning on his chest and him holding onto her shoulder; only this time her back was a bit crooked downwards because of the numbness of her body. Sasuke observed with his mouth slightly agape as a raindrop traveled the length of her small rounded nose until it soundlessly fell into a puddle on the muddy ground.

"I…Sorry…" The medic laughed quietly and bitterly, her voice hoarse. "I'm…tired." Sakura averted her eyes, obviously ashamed of herself. _'I'm so annoying, a burden, a weight…Sasuke-kun is going to regret taking me with him now.'_ Her exhaustion made her want to give in and cry but she would not let that happen -she would never reduce herself to that, especially in his presence- so she closed her eyes instead.

Wordlessly, the raven haired shinobi shifted more of her weight onto his shoulder and reached out his right hand to touch her forehead like he had two days ago. The contrast was striking: when she had been burning hot the other day she was now close to ebullition. Sasuke dropped his hand next to hers, feeling the coldness of her wet skin. He cursed.

She lowered her halfway closed eyes "I'm sorry Sas…"

"Can you hold on a little longer?" The Uchiha cut her off, staring directly at her face with serious obsidian orbs.

The kunoichi looked up, her gaze foggy and confused, eventually giving a weak nod. Sakura watched as he threw his hood back on but her eyelids shut tightly in surprise once he lifted her off the ground in one fast movement to pick her up bridal style. She didn't have time to protest as he sprinted ahead on the road, careful not to slip despite his long strides. Even in her old fantasies she hadn't thought it possible that Sasuke would once be carrying her like this… It felt way too wonderful to be true, but then again she was really sick, this may not even be real. The young woman was frozen but she imagined the warmth of his chest heating her up. It was childish, Sakura knew it, so she didn't let herself go further into her daydreams.

Sasuke didn't question his actions. It was only more practical to carry his teammate than to drag her along the road, they would make it quicker to the nearest town this way. But for some reasons, he couldn't help holding tighter onto Sakura's shoulder whenever he felt her shaking violently or heard her cough. It was tempting to jump in the trees to speed up the pace but he knew that the water on the branches would make it too dangerous. Sakura's sickness wasn't anything deadly but with such a strong fever it could rapidly evolve into something much worse. Clenching his teeth as the rain splashed onto his face, he recalled Tsunade and Naruto's words as well as his own promise, the one he had not voiced when they had left: He had to keep Sakura safe.

So Sasuke ran as fast as he could, for as long as he could until he saw a small wooden sign reading 'Suiden' on the side of the road. The name was familiar; they were almost there. His hood had long fallen again and in spite of his best efforts, both him and Sakura were entirely drenched in rain. The Uchiha looked down at her for a second. Her cloak was securely wrapped around her small frame, only it now clung to her body because of the heaven's water. The same went with her pink hair sticking to her red cheeks as she nested her head against his soaked chest in hopes of finding protection there. The most worrying was that he could literally _feel_ the overwhelming iciness of her body reaching his own as he too began to freeze. Not wasting any more time, Sasuke bolted towards the direction indicated by the sign.

He had no idea how long he had been running and the dark clouds adorning the sky would not give him any answer, but when the young shinobi saw the first few houses of Suiden, he finally heard his ragged breath, painful in his throat. He looked around as his run slowed to a hurried walk, ignoring the ache of his legs. Sasuke could still run more if he had to; he had always taken pride in his excellent stamina. The village was probably not very populated as there were not many houses around him. A few nonetheless stood out from the rest such as a large three story building on Sasuke's left and a red painted one with full blooming white heather surrounding it on the opposite side of the street. His watchful coal eyes observed the latter and soon fell on a yellow sign faded by the rain: _'Yasashii Tori Inn'_

The Uchiha didn't think twice about the name and briskly made his way to the building. The small tinkling of a bell resounded when he opened the door with a careful push of his shoulder so as not to disturb the girl in his arms. The hall looked much like the outside of the house, completely wooden and with a red round carpet in the center of the room. Countless water drops dripped from his clothes and onto the floor as he strode towards the counter where a middle aged lady stared at him as if she had just seen a ghost.

"I need a room" Sasuke's own voice surprised him with its hoarse and breathless tone. His eyes fell on his teammate just then when he felt a rough shiver running down the medic's spine that made her shake and wince quietly.

The hotel owner's gaze hadn't left Sasuke's face, a new determined and vicious spark now present in her eyes. "I don't have any" she replied, then added as he tilted his head a little to give her an incredulous look "Especially for you."

The raven haired man gritted his teeth, silently swearing. This kind of reaction had to be expected considering his reputation in this region. However he had not imagined the local's grudge would still be that strong after so long. Sasuke tore his eyes away from Sakura's distressed form to calm himself before looking down at the older woman sternly. "She's sick. She needs a bed to rest."

Her only response was a shrug of contempt. "Sick huh…You lie as easily as you breathe." Sasuke remained silent as she glared daggers at him. "Even I can tell that she's the Uchiha's next victim. You drugged her didn't you? And you want me to believe you're going to let her rest…"

His eyes widened for a split second then narrowed dangerously. It had become rare for him to be so blindly insulted. With a power such as his, nearly no one sane in this world dared to provoke him, but he couldn't possibly retaliate for this woman's carelessness since he wasn't in any position to make her regret her words.

"Haruko wasn't enough, was she? Now you come back with another one to have your fun…"

"Shut up."

The darkness of the Uchiha's tone was the same as the one when he had threatened Danzo on the Samurai Bridge, the same as when he had given him the final blow. Though the old woman was not careful enough to pick up the hint and stop, so she continued unimpressed "Now go away and rape her somewhere else if you want! Don't bring anymore dishonor and sadness to this village!"

Sasuke clenched Sakura's shoulder harder, almost painfully, in an effort to calm himself. His hold on the young kunoichi tightened until she was almost completely turned into his chest. The rage boiling in his veins wasn't going to give Sakura a shelter in which to rest and heal. He had to stay composed and keep himself in check while she couldn't do it for him, at least out of respect for her. As any good ninja, his face remained unreadable when he finally looked up and gave the hotel owner a blank stare, his voice emotionless and deep "She's my teammate since I was twelve. Now give us a room or we'll go somewhere else."

"There's no inn that would accept you for miles around."

There was a heavy pause with the harsh sound of the rain clattering on the roof before Sasuke unclenched his teeth and asked "Is there a doctor around here?"

"Again, none that would help you."

"Is there one?" He repeated more tensely.

The middle aged woman glared in return. She was not blind and had noticed how close he was cradling the pink haired girl in his arms. The poor thing was shaking violently with every breath she took and entirely soaked. The old woman would never help this Uchiha, it was a question of honor and dignity, but this girl was suffering. She knew she ought to do something for this innocent victim, in order for history not to repeat itself twice, so eventually, she sighed "There's an old man who sells medicinal herbs in the next town."

Silence fell in the room. Sasuke suddenly turned around and made his way to a fluffy armchair opposite the inn's front desk. There, he gently dropped Sakura, taking off her waterlogged cloak and replacing it with the dry blanket he retrieved from his bag. The woman at the desk watched his ministrations with mild surprise until his hands formed a peculiar sign and an identical clone of the young man appeared in a puff of smoke. The one she knew was the real Sasuke looked at her with somber eyes once more before running out the door and into the still pouring rain.

He had to do this fast. Even with a shadow clone to keep an eye on Sakura he couldn't trust this woman at the inn. Hopefully the next town would not be too far.

Soon it was nightfall with no red light of dusk shining between the bare trees and only dark gray clouds finally tired of pouring rain on the earth. It was a bit less than an hour later when he had already passed two unwelcoming towns without finding a doctor that Sasuke abruptly stopped running through the forest, his eyes widening… He realized with horror that in that split second he had regained the few memories of his clone, meaning it had been attacked and had disappeared. The old woman back in Suiden had lied to him, there was no doctor and Sakura was in danger now that his clone was not there to protect her anymore.

Sasuke raced through the wet forest with a newly found strength despite the soreness of his limbs. The scenery went by way too slowly around him as time seemed dreadfully long. His fear of what the villagers would do to Sakura to get revenge on him increased with each passing minute and a voice at the back of his head kept ranting, blaming him _'You should never have left her alone in a dangerous place like this. You thought it would be quicker like that but you should have known better. You shouldn't have trusted them. You shouldn't…'_

He sped up helplessly and ran, ran, ran… until he heard a whistling sound to his left. Reacting on instinct, the shinobi jumped away just in time to avoid… _'An arrow?'_

"He's there! Don't lose him!" A male voice yelled a bit further to Sasuke's left.

' _They are attacking me'_ The Uchiha's jaw tightened at the thought while he never stopped his sprint. Why did they act this way when he had done absolutely nothing to them? This kind of question would have to wait. Retrieving Sakura without harming his attackers would be a child's play considering his abilities. What preoccupied Sasuke the most was taking the weakened girl to safety, but he didn't have time to think of a plan right now with two new arrows flying his way.

Sasuke easily dodged and started analyzing _'They're using arrows so they're obviously not shinobis.'_ Another three were avoided as he kept running straight ahead. ' _They think they can use the field to their advantage because I can't see them, so they're not experienced either. Otherwise they would know I can hear.'_ The sound of rapid footsteps in the muddy ground was easy to pick up for his sharp hearing. He had already localized three men running a small way ahead on each side of the road. With these elements in mind, he immediately chose the most efficient tactic _'Bunshin no jutsu.'_

Five copies of Sasuke appeared beside him and dispersed in an instant. He heard the cries of the aghast men who didn't know which one to target anymore. The real Uchiha jumped sideways away from the path and used the trees to go unnoticed while he still followed the road straight to the village.

' _They attacked me just now so I mustn't be far.'_ Indeed his conclusion was proven right when he saw the gray shapes of wooden houses outlined in the foggy aftermath of the rain. The young man slowed down and stopped in the concealing shade of a building at the sight of a bustling crowd right in front of the inn. Apparently, most of the villagers had gathered to guard the red painted hotel, some with pitchforks and sickles, others with daggers and rods. Men and women alike stood proudly with the same fire in their eyes, one that wasn't foreign to Sasuke for it screamed _revenge._

' _This isn't good'_ he thought, body tense and fists balled. His options were vast however many involved harming his attackers, especially if his assumption that Sakura was still inside was right. An infiltration seemed appropriate but with such crowd surrounding the inn it was next to impossible to go unnoticed. The raven haired ninja reviewed all his skills, analyzing which would be most accurate. His time was short and he could not afford to injure anyone, but first he needed to localize his target. He could summon a tiny snake to scout for his teammate and…

"Right here! We found him!"

Sasuke turned around just in time to avoid the arrow aimed at his heart which left a rough cut as it grazed his shoulder. Immediately the crowd around the inn roared to life and stormed towards him. A silent operation wasn't possible anymore. Sasuke looked warily at the approaching mass before jumping up onto the nearest roof. He hadn't forgotten the archers and somersaulted backwards twice to dodge some more arrows, blocking the next two with his katana. The angry villagers screamed insults at him but Sasuke ignored them as he gracefully deflected all projectiles coming his way. After a while no more arrows were shot at him and he concluded by the exasperated look of the two bow wielders among the crowd that they were out of munitions. The shinobi put his sword back in its holster and turned to the unceasing clamor under him. His eyes were a window to the burning fury held back inside him. Sasuke was completely cornered and helpless in front of attackers that he wasn't allowed to fight. He couldn't cut his way through, he couldn't run, he couldn't do so much as put them under genjutsu… People before him kept ranting.

"Hey bastard! Get down here if you're a man!"

"Give Haruko back!"

"Back off, you monster!"

"There is no place here for a criminal like you!"

Sasuke wasn't even listening to their hateful words, they rebounded against him and slid away like water on an eroded rock. The raven haired young man had run out of options and instead thoughts of his teammate now plagued his mind as he recalled Sakura's trembling cold body in his arms. He had to find a solution, he had to!… His eyes fell to the scene below and traveled through the window of the sole red building in Suiden. Black orbs widened once they landed on pink hair and pale skin reddened by fever behind the inn's glass window. Sakura was right there in the armchair where he had left her, but most importantly in his field of view. He now had one opportunity to retrieve her and needed a couple more seconds to plan their escape, only the villagers weren't that patient.

A pebble hit his chest, followed by another that passed dangerously near his forehead. A flurry of pebbles was thrown at him by the furious crowd. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and swiftly drew a kunai from his item pouch. He used incredible speed to run the length of the roof so that no one could follow his movements when he jumped and landed a few meters away from the inn's window, now perfectly in range with Sakura.

In a flash six pitch black tomoes spun along circles of the same color as his left eye turned violet with the apparition of his rinnegan. Sasuke focused his gaze on the nearly unconscious Sakura, his cloak still floating around him after his jump when Amenotejikara teleported his target right into his arms. On the armchair inside the inn laid the abandoned glinting white kunai.

The young man inspected his companion speedily for any trace of injury other than the cold still overwhelming her body. There was none, but her condition clearly hadn't improved in the least during his absence. Sasuke was soon brought out of his trance by the shouts of hostile villagers. They had been quicker to recover than he had planned. Behind him was the red wood and white heather of the inn and ahead were the forks and blades of the crowd. There was no escape.

"Leave that girl alone, bastard!"

"You rapist! Get out of our village!"

"I'll cut you in two! I'll kill you!"

Sasuke lowered his gaze and clenched his teeth in an attempt to contain his rage. _'Is this the world we live in? One where people driven by fear judge and discriminate others without proof? Is this…Our supposedly_ _ **new**_ _world?'_ He knew he wasn't an isolated case, many more were probably confronted with retrograde mentalities like these every day. But were they strong enough to endure this? Did society help them cleanse their name? Was it a battle they had to fight alone? Sasuke did not have the answers to most of these questions, but at that moment he remembered something Naruto had once told him. It had been in Konoha's hospital, shortly after the Fourth Great Ninja war. A brand new sun had lit the clinical white walls of their shared room and a gentle autumn wind had been blowing through the window as the blond hero had turned to him with his trademark grin _'I believe that one day people will be able to understand each other. I inherited my master's will, ya see! But I still need to work a lot to achieve his dream…You'll help me, won't ya teme?'_ Sasuke had not given any answer at the time, not knowing any better than his friend how to attain this goal.

"Come on! Fight us if you dare!"

"We'll make you pay for what you did to Haruko!"

"Give her back! Give Haruko back you son of a bitch!"

Now the sky was as dark as ashes, the wind cold and the night coming close. Naruto's reassuring optimism was no longer by his side and he had to make it out of this critical situation alone, like he had always been. Sasuke's eyes shut tightly and more pebbles came hitting his shoulders. He quickly turned to shield Sakura away from the attack. The Uchiha felt a small shift in his arms and looked down at the kunoichi. Forcing herself awake, a murmur of his name left her lips. When Sakura's foggy green eyes met his, a simple message passed between them with only eye contact and slowly, he lowered her feet to the ground while still helping her to stand with an arm around her shoulders to support her. The villagers were still shouting as they were oblivious to the pink haired girl's motion but when Sasuke turned to reveal her behind his cloak there was a short silence which she exploited.

"W-why…are you doing this?" Sakura's voice was small and weak but for some reason she had managed to capture her audience's attention, probably because of their shock at such a small, apparently frail young woman defending a demon like Sasuke.

Then the noise came back with her inquiry "He took our Haruko!"

"He raped her!"

"He killed her!"

Sakura's tired eyes widened at such accusations. She coughed then spoke "How can you say that? Do you have any proof?"

"It's obvious that it's him!"

"She disappeared at the same time as this Uchiha bastard!"

A large clamor of approval followed these arguments but Sakura was nonetheless able to hear Sasuke's whisper in her ear "They won't change their mind."

Her gaze lingered on the villagers. Besides the fury and resent clearly visible on their faces, there were other feelings leaking through their eyes: pain, hurt and mainly sorrow. They loved this girl named Haruko with all their heart and they had lost her. Sakura could only understand how painful this was but still, they were accusing Sasuke without any tangible proof. She looked up at her companion, observing his features. He was drenched in rain, tired, frowning and frustrated but also quite obviously worried. The kunoichi gathered the strength to pull up the corners of her mouth in a reassuring smile before returning her eyes to Suiden's people.

"I know you won't believe me…if I tell you that Sasuke-kun is innocent but…we're travelers" she said with a feeble smile still present on her lips "Maybe…we could ask around in search of Haruko."

Sasuke tensed. How could she suggest such a thing? The girl could have run away willingly or perhaps she was dead! She couldn't build their hopes up like that! Still, Sakura ignored his reaction "Do you have a picture of her?"

A woman's voice rose among the crowd, pained and outraged "Don't lie to us! You won't bring Haruko back because you killed her!" The voice broke into a sob and more scandalized cries followed.

"Liar! LIAR! LIAR!"

"How dare you!?"

"We'll make you pay!"

"KILL HIM!"

Then they charged, disorganized and with a great battle cry. Sasuke's eyes widened. In a mere second Sakura was in his arms again and he had his rinnegan focused on a nearby tree branch. It was one of the only ones to have sparse leaves. One of the villagers' spear stuck the wall where the two Konoha shinobis had been, only instead of their bodies impaled by the pointed end of the weapon was a thin green leaf.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Yes! I finally managed to update on time! I'm even early, since it's only 3:30pm in France and I usually publish around 7pm!^^_

 _Thank you guys so much for all the nice reviews! I start getting more and every time it makes my day! :)_

 _Thanks also to Ag (guest review) who pointed out very interested facts about vitamin C! I wasn't offended at all, actually I'm very pleased that you decided to give some of your time to tell me about this, so thank you!_

 _Nekoszok, now that you mentioned it, I hadn't realized how Ooc that scene could be for Sasuke in the beginning of Chapter 6... Man! After all the time I spent doing some research about the Uchiha brain!-_-" But well, as long as you enjoyed it, I guess it's alright if I keep it that way. I also don't particularly like writing angst for Sakura who has suffered so much throughout the series, but as I always said: "without problems, there is no story!"_

 _Oh, I also wanted to clarify: Sasuke usually uses his rinnegan eye power to switch himself and an object's position, but I imagine that it is also possible to do it between two objects rather than with himself._

 _Again, thank you very very MUCH for reading and I hope to see you all next chapter! ;)_


	8. Part 2 - Chapter 8

_**FLY AWAY- Part 2: White Heather**_

 _ **Chapter 8**_

Sasuke raced through the forest, dark shadows spreading on his path and without a moon to shine bright and provide him some light. His blazing red sharingan was activated to compensate for this lack of visibility, but nothing could make him run faster than he already was. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him in agony, but he still wasn't far enough from Suiden to let his guard down.

"Sasuke-kun…"

The young man didn't look down at Sakura when she whispered his name as he was still focused on the barely visible road ahead. Sakura coughed painfully in her fist. Her throat was burning as if claws were rattling it and the icy night air and wind only made it worse. She nonetheless gave a weak apology against her companion's chest "I'm sorry…"

"We couldn't have done anything back there" was his immediate reply. Sasuke couldn't hold Sakura's attempt at negotiating with those furious villagers against her, especially in her condition. In fact he was quite impressed that she had managed to simply exchange words with them, however short it had been.

The Uchiha felt Sakura nuzzling her head against his chest to hide her shame. He didn't protest, only let out a low "Rest."

She didn't make a sound except for the occasional cough or sniffle after that. Sasuke passed countless trees, countless shadows and almost tripped countless times. The soreness of his limbs was undeniable but with Sakura trembling like a leaf under the wind's constant assaults, he could not just set camp and let her sleep outside. They weren't far enough from hostile territory either; resting wasn't an option for him.

It was hard to concentrate in this situation though. The fire in the villager's eyes was still vivid in Sasuke's mind: The unadulterated hatred lying in their souls and awaiting nothing more than to be freed with his demise… His hands had been stained with blood before, more than he would have liked. He had committed presumably unforgivable crimes and no matter how pure his attempt at redemption now was, his reputation, his name and his past kept clawing their way back to him. The dark haired shinobi could understand somehow that Suiden's people had reasons to want him dead, even if they were nothing more than lies. But then…what had Sakura done to them?

He held slightly tighter onto her shivering cold body at the thought. Sakura was innocent and had nothing to do with the deeds they accused him of, but still, they had raised their weapons at both of them alike. Sasuke couldn't comprehend this. Was it his fault? Did they attack her only because she was with him? Did he lure more danger to her than he provided protection? He shook his head to dismiss such thoughts, not wanting them to get to him in their current predicament.

It was a few minutes later that the first potential enemy since they left Suiden made its presence known. Sasuke stopped and turned in a flash at the snapping of a twig barely a few meters behind him. He scanned his surroundings for any sign of danger but found none among the bare bushes and trees bathed in darkness. However, he could distinctively sense an unknown chakra hidden nearby.

"Show yourself" the Uchiha ordered threateningly, his crimson pupils ready to light up any attacker in the black flames of Amaterasu.

Sasuke was only able to distinguish a faint movement in the shadows of the night as a few more twigs broke with rapid steps on the muddy ground. The thing was fairly small and level with the ground, and although Sasuke could feel chakra from this being, it was not quite a human aura. He tensed, cradling Sakura tighter against him protectively. Then there was a brief flicker of white light that almost blinded him. Sasuke blinked the painful sting of his eyes away to discover a petite silhouette approaching the first, a flashlight in hand.

The shinobi's eyes widened then narrowed a little as his mangekyou sharingan turned back into its normal three tomoe form. The small figure was but a boy, blond, hazel eyed and shyly looking up at him, along with a snow white dog standing by his side, sniffing the air. Sasuke wanted to facepalm but couldn't because of the girl in his arms. He had been too keen on imagining the worst kind of beast attacking him and Sakura, and now felt ridiculous for letting a simple dog make him loose his cool.

The boy remained silent under the Uchiha's cold stare, obviously intimidated as well as confused on what to do. Sasuke was much in the same perplexed state, only he didn't let on anything. He felt Sakura shift, probably because of how tight he was holding her. Slightly embarrassed at this realization, he tried to relax more but was far from successful as the pink haired girl let out pained loose coughs.

"Is she sick?"

Sasuke turned to the source of the small faint voice. The boy was staring up at him with childishly huge and curious eyes. The young man didn't reply, simply returning his gaze to his teammate, so the kid took the opportunity to carry on speaking.

"I…I brought a picture."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he now fixed them upon the child in utter shock. Despite the dark, the boy was clearly able to see the glowing blood red sharingan stabbing his very soul with its icy sharpness. His whole body shook with fear as he continued "Sh-She said I should bring a picture of Haruko! So you could find her!" His voice became tearful, breaking into a strangled sob "She's my sister, you know? I miss Haruko! We all do! It's been months and months since she disappeared, so please, help us!"

The blond child's companion whined beside his master, rubbing his snout against his leg.

Sasuke's surprise was soon replaced by anger. This boy dared ask for their help when his own people had tried to kill him and Sakura! Why did he…How could he…?

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura's voice brought him out of his darkening thoughts. "We…" she coughed again "…should take it."

This angered him even more. He wanted to ask her why, reprimand her for wasting her breath on such heartless people when her kindness would not be rewarded by anything but rage. These villagers had done nothing to help them when they _could have_ , and seeing Sakura shivering madly like she currently was, Sasuke had much difficulty forgiving them.

The sick jounin sensed his inner turmoil and decided to explain herself despite her poor state. Her voice was feeble, her breath ragged and her words cut off by coughs but she didn't care as long as she got her feelings out "We can just…look around while we travel. I know maybe…we won't find this girl but…we ought to have a look…then maybe…they will change their mind about you…"

The raven haired ninja wasn't so surprised at her declaration. He should have known that she was doing this for him all along. She always made his sake and others' her top priority, foolish, kind, selfless Sakura.

"They…love this girl…you should be able… to understand." So she had made the connection too. It scared him to admit it, but these people's hatred terribly reminded Sasuke of how he used to be two years ago, when nothing but avenging his brother and his clan mattered to him. He closed his eyes as she continued.

Please…Don't be mad at them…I thought we could try to help…Sorry…"

Sakura was breathless by the end of her speech. She hated being like this, the cold incapacitating her and making her feel so weak and useless…Yet, she had apparently managed to make her point across to him and she found the strength to smile at this thought.

Sasuke's voice wasn't sharp or cold when he spoke, it actually held warmth the young woman wasn't used to hear from him and she was greatly surprised to find the same gentleness in his unnatural ruby eyes "I told you to rest."

It seemed like he would hold her gaze until she complied but Sakura was still worried about the boy's request and whether Sasuke would agree to help him or not. She glanced at the blond then back to her teammate. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly in response and Sakura sighed lightly before letting her eyelids flutter close, worried that if she didn't seize this moment his kindness would fade like in a dream.

Once she had relaxed completely, Sasuke turned back to the kid fidgeting uneasily in front of him. The Uchiha's expression was once more emotionless, just like his tone when he told the youngster "Give me your picture, we'll do what we can."

The blond boy handed him the piece of glazed paper with a trembling arm but as he reached out for the older man he realized that both of Sasuke's hands were already busy carrying Sakura. He gave the raven haired man a confused look but upon receiving no help except a blank stare, he slowly approached the two shinobis and stood on his tiptoes to put the photograph in Sakura's lap, then quickly retrieved his hand at the icy cold feeling emanating from the kunoichi's body. Sakura brought a gloved hand up to grab the photograph and flashed a small smile at the boy before Sasuke turned. No other word was spoken as the two silently disappeared among the shadows of the trees.

Maybe hours later, Sasuke felt the humid atmosphere around him change. The air was cold, yet misty and salty. He had no idea how late it was into the night but judging by these facts, he could be sure of one thing: the coast was close. He pictured his old map precisely in his head. Suiden was due south from Otafuku Gai and the road leading to the other villages in this region of the Country of Fire bordered a river. Then logically if he followed the lapping sound of water a small way beside his path, he would eventually see the shore. However, rumors had travelled a long way from Suiden and most of those inhabiting the south east region of the country would chase him away the same way the others had. He needed to find a friendly place not too far away where he would find shelter long enough for Sakura to recover.

Sasuke blinked his fatigue away for the umpteenth time and soon, his sharingan noticed the trees getting fewer and fewer on his way, replaced by wooden fences bordering fields and bare meadows of chilled grass. He was exhausted and sore. Nothing but his unwavering determination to take Sakura to safety kept him standing. His loud, painful breath was hardly concealable anymore and his body like his teeth shook violently from the cold, but he still heard it. The loud, strong sound of his last hope. He kept running, speeding up, convincing himself that he still had enough energy to reach his goal…

' _The Waves.'_

~O~

There was light, enough for Sasuke to tell that it was almost noon when he woke up. He didn't move except for his curious yet tired coal eyes. As his eyelids slowly blinked open he took in his surroundings, his body still too heavy to do so much as lift an arm to block the bright rays of sunlight that bathed the room. Without even tilting his head he could see the floor and windows were made of dark wood. In contrast, the walls were blank and immaculate safe for a few traditional scrolls hanging here and there. One of them right next to the desk in front of the window read _'toushi'_ : _'fighting spirit'_. Another on the left depicted the complicated plan of a large structure, probably a bridge.

Sasuke breathed in and out calmly in his half awake state and noticed how uncomfortable he felt despite laying down completely relaxed on his back. He felt the floor next to him with his right hand and deduced by the rough feeling of wood underneath his palm that he was resting on the bare parquet. The raven haired shinobi sighed and squeezed his eyes shut as he shifted his shoulder to try and find a more comfortable position where the bone wouldn't rub the floor roughly like it currently was. He let out a small wince, then gave up completely.

His eyes closed once more and last night's events replayed in his clouded memory. Sasuke recalled his mad rush on the deserted Great Naruto Bridge, how he had barely been standing when he had found Tazuna's house. Not his hand but his forehead had knocked on the door as he had let it tilt down in exhaustion. The Uchiha had been lucky to find the old man working late on the dining room table and ready to open the door, otherwise he would have had to shout and he wasn't sure his throat burning from the cold would have let him. Sasuke remembered the flabbergasted look on the bridge builder's face once he had laid eyes on the young man and the familiar pink haired girl in his arms. Tazuna probably hadn't recognized him at first, for he had nothing to do with the twelve year old boy he once was anymore, but Sakura's singular features had driven away any doubt and the older man had led him inside and upstairs to the spare bedroom where he now was. The reason why the raven haired ninja was spread out on the floor was simply that after lowering Sakura on the sole futon of the room, he had collapsed, utterly drained of all his energy.

Sasuke blamed his supposedly excellent stamina for his now terrible weakness. Running for more than ten hours straight shouldn't have been that difficult for someone who had fought the strongest shinobis on Earth such as Obito, Madara, Kaguya and Uzumaki Naruto on a row. He cursed silently, realizing how ridiculous this was.

The Uchiha pivoted his head to his left to check on Sakura still sound asleep and halfway turned towards him. The kunoichi was clutching her blanket tightly to her curled up body while her other hand lay on her pillow where her slightly tilted head rested, providing him a clear view of her face. Crimson that hinted of her sickness still adorned her cheeks and her small breaths seemed labored but at least she was now safe. Sasuke found himself observing her a little longer, from the relaxed curve of her thin pink eyebrows above her closed eyelids, the tiny shadows her long dark lashes cast on her pale skin, to the rosy glint of her slightly parted lips in the light and the messy bangs of silky-looking pink hair that were habitually so perfectly ordered falling onto her face.

The last thing Sasuke noticed before looking away was that she was still shivering every now and then. With a short sigh, he sat up and brought a hand up to rub his temple. He did not know where the sudden instinct to put Sakura's blanket up to cover her better came from but it certainly disturbed him. Not because he was ashamed or too embarrassed, but because it was so foreign and unusual to take care of someone as such for him. For as long as he remembered, he had been the one to be taken care of, whether it be by his parents or his brother. But never had the closeness between the members of Team 7-his new family- or the circumstances enabled him to return the affection.

He briefly glanced at the sleeping girl and suppressed a blush, whispering a curse this time. The shinobi did not expect to have to battle with himself on whether or not he should listen to his instinct but in the end, he concluded that he couldn't do anything unless he wanted the trained kunoichi to wake up with his touch. She needed to rest, this was the only cure he had managed to provide and it wasn't to rob her of it right now.

Sasuke was about to stand up when the young woman suddenly moved, seemingly hearing his thoughts. With her body turned even more into her pillow, most of her bangs had fallen onto her face, ridiculously covering her nose and left cheek in tangles of pink locks. The small hand that had been holding tight onto her cover was now clutching the pillow as Sakura almost laid on her stomach. The Uchiha blinked in wonder _'Are sleeping people so receptive of their environment?'_ He quickly dismissed this 'idiotic' thought and cursed one last time before reaching a hand to bring the warm blanket up and cover Sakura's shoulders, though, it was only with the soft contact of soft strands of hair that he realized his bandaged palm had travelled up to her face of its own accord to brush the bothering pink locks behind her ear.

Now content with himself as well as slightly embarrassed, Sasuke was free to stand up and walk to the door, looking over at Sakura one last time before leaving the room. He was still tired and his usually long and determined strides were far from fluid but he still needed to find his host and clarify his situation. Tazuna had been kind enough last night to let him come in and leave out the explanation for later since it was such an "unholy hour in the morning (!)". However, Sasuke was forced to halt upon encountering a mirror in the corridor leading to the stairs. The previously absent-minded glance he had stolen at the glass succeeded in turning his imperturbable pools of obsidian into wide saucers. He now understood why Tazuna's face had been painted with deep shock the other night.

Starting with his legs, the bands covering his calves were covered in dried mud as were his shoes and the hem of his pants. He did not dare imagine the state his cloak was in as he had idly discarded it earlier in his room. His long sleeved black shirt remained unscathed safe for the cut made by Suiden's archers on his left shoulder. It still stung slightly with the prickling chilly draft but had long stopped bleeding; Sasuke made a mental note thought, to bandage up this nasty cut before Sakura could notice. The worst was by far his hair, reminiscent of a porcupine. Normally mid-length and kept down by the bands around his head, it was now disheveled and all over his face, the thick ebony spikes a clear reminder of those he once had as a boy. His face was also deathly pale, somehow even more than usual because of the cold and fatigue from the previous night.

Sasuke hastily took off the dark blue bands around his head to run a hand through his hair. He kept vigorously lowering his spikes until the rebellious locks finally complied, therefore wasting a good ten minutes on his hairstyle. The shinobi quietly 'tsked' with his tongue in annoyance as he pocketed his bandana, too tired to put it back on.

The coal eyed man eventually turned towards the stairs and climbed down to discover no one but Tsunami -Tazuna's daughter- humming an unknown tune in the kitchen linked to the large dining room. The older woman apparently had yet to notice his presence so of course she was stunned when Sasuke cleared his throat. A gasp escaped her mouth, almost letting the dishes she was cleaning slip out of her hands as she turned to him, her hand instinctively travelling up to her heart.

"Oh Gosh! You surprised me…"

"Sorry." It was the least for Sasuke to apologize to his host, although his voice held its usual emotionless tone.

Silence fell in the room for a minute before Tsunami recovered and flashed a kind smile to her young guest "My, when dad told me about you this morning I almost didn't believe him, but you did come back."

Upon receiving no reply she jovially continued "You really grew up, you know." Sasuke could not help being reminded that the last persons who had told him this had been his aunt and uncle, long ago at the Uchiha compound. He quickly dismissed the memory and remained quiet.

"I wonder how Sakura looks now, she used to be so cute." Tsunami turned back to her chores and carried on with a smile still on her face, unfazed by the Uchiha's silence "Is she alright?"

"She's sleeping her flu off."

"I see, can you tell me what happened to you two?" Tsunami glanced over her shoulder at the young man whose gaze was seemingly stuck on the gray cement floor.

Sasuke was actually observing his mud-stained shoes with an exasperated look on his face. He walked towards the sink as he spoke "I'll explain everything when the others get back."

Tsunami's eyes widened, she hadn't even told him that Tazuna and Inari had gone to a meeting for a potential contract. When she turned to ask her guest about it she noticed the shinobi standing right next to her, his bandaged left hand extended to grab a brush on the side of the sink.

Many questions went through her head as he motioned to the item with his chin. "May I?" he asked. She nodded, only to have him walk away and through the entrance door to sit down on the front steps and roughly brush the mud off his clothes. Tsunami sighed, it had been years since she had had ninjas staying at her house, but it nonetheless remained a peculiar experience.

* * *

 _ **A.N/:**_ _I'm sorry this is kinda rushed, I couldn't post it earlier and I didn't have much time to double "proof read" this chapter..._

 _I have to admit that Kishi is annoying me more and more every week..._

 _As always, thanks to you all who support this story and stay tuned for the next chapter! :)_


	9. Part 2 - Chapter 9

_**FLY AWAY- Part 2 : White Heather**_

 _ **Chapter 9**_

"Well kid, it's not easy everyday being a ninja…" Tazuna sighed, scratching the back of his neck and taking another shot of sake under his daughter's disapproving gaze.

Everyone was sitting in silence in the dining room after the end of Sasuke's story. Of course he had voluntarily omitted most details in his version of what had happened to him and the young medic-nin in Suiden. Tazuna and his family knew that Sakura had fallen ill and that the two Leaf shinobis had been chased out of all villages because of the fear the Uchiha name inspired after the war against Obito and Madara, no more was needed to be said.

The bridge builder and his grandson had returned less than an hour after Sasuke had woken up and the Uchiha had to admit, Inari had changed quite a lot from the little crybaby he remembered. At age sixteen, he was still rather short but possessed muscled arms because of the very physical aspects of his job as his grand-father's apprentice. His silhouette was thin but athletic, enhanced by the dark green vest resembling a sleeveless kimono that he wore over a plain white shirt. His neck was bare after he had taken off his scarf upon entering the house, revealing a black thread hinting at a metallic pendant dissimulated by his shirt. With these he wore plain beige pants and heavy black winter sandals, the same color as the headband covering his temple, like a ninja's hitai-ate. He also seemed a lot more cheerful. Naruto had changed this boy long ago and Sasuke was somewhat impressed that Inari had evolved like this thanks to his best friend. He secretly hoped, though, that the maroon haired teenager had not taken up the ramen lover's obnoxious behavior.

"Hey," Inari caught the older dark haired man's attention, his voice eager and light "I was wondering, will Naruto come here as well?"

The ninja lifted a curious eyebrow at the boy's childish excitement, a clear reminder of his blond friend's. Sasuke replied in a tone he judged less cold than his usual "No, he's busy in Konoha."

Inari pouted at that "Aw…Really? Does he get assigned on too many missions?"

This time the Uchiha couldn't help smirking "That, and his girlfriend keeps him there."

Just as expected, the teen slammed his hands flat on the table in shock "W-What!? I can't believe he's got a girlfriend!" He leaned closer across the table towards Sasuke "What's she like? Hot?"

"Inari!" Tsunami reprimanded her son from the other side of the table while she continued peeling apples for that evening's pie.

Sasuke didn't answer this last question and kept silent as the family began conversing about Tazuna and Inari's business meeting. The young Uchiha fumbled with the bandages on his left hand for a while, retightening them while listening distractedly to his hosts' small talk. He was about to move on to his other forearm when a loud noise suddenly resounded from the stairs. The slow, uneven _'tap tap'_ of heavy footsteps on the wooden stairway surprised him first, but soon the others perked up too and were greeted with the sight of a confused pink haired kunoichi rubbing her tired eyes at the bottom of the stairs.

"Sasuke-kun, what…?" Sakura stopped mid-sentence once she realized that her teammate was not the only one in the room and gave Tazuna and his family a sheepish smile. She briskly ran a hand through her unruly hair and straightened her red qipao dress.

"Sakura! You've grown up so much!" Tsunami exclaimed to break the uneasy silence which had followed the medic's arrival.

Sakura's cheeks were still flushed, but more from the fever than from embarrassment this time "Ah, really? I don't think so…" _'I'm so short, I barely reach past Sasuke-kun's shoulders'_ she added in her mind.

"Yes!" Tsunami confirmed her observation as Sakura staggered her way to the table "How old are you now, eighteen?"

"Sasuke-kun and I are nineteen" the jounin corrected. Tsunami started babbling with her father about how small the two shinobis used to be back in the old days and Tazuna simply gave curt nods under his newspaper, missing half of her words.

Sakura sat down on a spare chair on Sasuke's left between him and Tsunami, while Tazuna was seated opposite his daughter and to Inari's right. Said boy had not uttered a word since the kunoichi had arrived and was now blankly staring at her with widened black eyes. As she noticed this, Sakura gave an uneasy grin in a form of greeting and averted her gaze. However, the medic had to repress a gasp once she met the sight of Sasuke's injured shoulder. It seemed the cloth of Sasuke's shirt had been as easily ripped as his skin judging by the large gash darkened by dried blackish blood on his arm. Sakura turned away rapidly so as not to be caught staring by her teammate. The wound was deep and required immediate care, but Sakura knew Sasuke too well. He would push her away at once if she voiced her concern about his injury and pretend it was nothing. Though as she discreetly gave him a sidelong glance, Sakura easily noticed the fatigue in his drooping coal eyes, which indicated that he was not as alert as usual. Not wasting any minute, the young medic seized her chance and made a quick grab for his wrist under the table before infusing chakra in her other hand and bringing it up to heal the large gash.

Sasuke jumped at her touch and then at the sensation of her familiar chakra on his arm. He glared "Sakura, stop that."

"It'll only take a sec', don't worry" she reassured him, her glowing green fingers working magic on his wound.

"Save up your chakra, you need rest" Sasuke said in a low voice, trying to shake his arm off her iron grip. Curse her superhuman strength.

She didn't answer but ten seconds later the rough cut was already closed and the young man's skin repaired. Only a rosy scar remained, almost as if Sasuke had never been injured. The medic-nin let go of his wrist, turned to cough as quietly as possible in her forearm and then smiled innocently up at him "There, do I look like I'm on the verge of death?"

"Tch, annoying…" Sasuke looked away, making Sakura's smile widen even more. However, the young man's gaze soon returned to her when she erupted in another fit of obviously painful loose cough, her body trembling and her eyes becoming foggy. The same worry as last night's resurfaced as Sasuke frowned deeply.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Tsunami asked, looking up from her work.

The kunoichi coughed twice more before answering in a raspy voice "Yes, yes…Don't worry." She instinctively placed her hands on her elbows to warm herself up but kept shivering under Sasuke's cold stare. Sakura cursed between chattering teeth.

"Don't you have any warmer clothes?" The Uchiha inquired impassively, his gaze discreetly traveling from her bare legs under the table to her uncovered shoulders -he also couldn't help noticing how thin the fabric of her dress was and that she was wearing neither her elbow or knee warmers. His eyes bore accusingly into hers "These are not fit for the season."

Sakura wasn't blind like the others in the room and had seen him rapidly inspecting her from head to toe. A crimson blush of embarrassment doubled the one caused by the fever as she gathered up her courage to counter as bravely as she could "Well, this is my jounin gear. I usually wear this on all missions and since…"

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, you look very pretty like that."

Both shinobis froze at Inari's light hearted comment. Even though his intention had been far from creating tension in the room, he had managed to achieve this effect perfectly, with Sasuke turning to glare daggers at the table and Sakura blinking a few times in surprise. When his words finally registered in her mind shock took over her senses and strangled coughs escaped her mouth again. Inari on the other hand, looked totally content with a light blush on his tanned cheeks and a big grin on his face. Tsunami giggled and Tazuna let out a throaty chuckle from behind his newspaper.

"Thanks Inari, but Sasuke-kun is right. I-I'll go change." Sakura quickly stood up to walk as fast as her weak body would let her towards the stairs before the younger boy's voice made her halt again.

"Wait! I didn't ask you, can I call you _Sakura-chan_?" Inari stood up too as the medic seemed ready to run away in a desperate attempt to cover up her embarrassment.

Sakura frowned and squeezed her eyes shut, wanting nothing more than to disappear under the earth _'What the heck, Inari wasn't like that last time! Shannarooo!'_ This situation was getting way too confusing so she waved it off and looked over her shoulder with a smile, although her voice wasn't so confident "Sure."

As she fled off towards her room Inari sat back down with a toothy grin, motioning with his fist in victory. Sasuke was still silent, drinking water from a glass he had taken a while ago. Only when he brought it to his lips and realized it was empty he tensely put it back down on the table, trying not to slam it like he actually wanted to. Tazuna wolf whistled, his eyes never leaving the newspaper, to which Inari started grumbling at his grandfather as Tsunami giggled again. Feeling edgy and out of place, Sasuke stood up from the table intending to take his leave.

"Hey young man," The old bridge builder called to him "You still haven't told us how long you intend to stay."

"Don't be so blunt, dad" Tsunami scolded "They can stay here as long as they need to."

Tazuna readjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose before replying "Still, Inari and I will probably be off to Kirigakure in a week and a half so you'd be alone with two guests."

Tsunami was about to protest when Sasuke cut in their argument "One week should be enough for Sakura to recover. We're also headed to Kiri, in case you want an escort on the way." The young Uchiha wasn't so close to Tazuna and his family, but considering they were accommodating him and Sakura for free, it was only natural to try and repay them for their kindness.

"What a coincidence!" The old man exclaimed. "We'll plan it all later then, thank you for the offer."

Sasuke nodded in understanding and added before walking to the stairs "Thanks for hosting us."

In response, Tsunami smiled and Tazuna chuckled. Only Inari stood up abruptly before the Uchiha reached the bottom of the stairs. "Wait! Don't go now, Sakura-chan's changing!"

It was Sasuke's turn to chuckle, unlike the younger boy, he knew his teammate too well. "She doesn't have anything to change into." With that, he left a taken aback Inari and two amused parents in the dining room as he climbed up the wooden stairs.

Once on the landing, Sasuke was able to hear Inari's displeased grumbles loud and clear but did not mind them in the least. The door to "Sakura's room" was opened just enough for Sasuke to peer in its crack and make sure he could come in without risking being punched through a wall (although he already knew that Sakura would not be changing). She was indeed senselessly rumbling through her bag in search of some clothes, all the while mumbling colorful words under her breath. When the door creaked as Sasuke entered the room she perked up, alert for a second before recognizing his familiar chakra and resuming her previous activity. The Uchiha walked to stand beside her crouching form and although Sakura wasn't looking, she knew for sure that he was smirking when he said:

"You don't have any spare clothes, do you?"

Her brows knitted in frustration. Sarcasm and cynicism were the only attempts at humor Sasuke Uchiha could manage and though she would have usually welcomed it, this mockery currently irritated her to no end. She hadn't been clever enough to bring so much as a pull-over with her. This already annoyed her greatly but with Sasuke –an experienced traveler and also the person she wanted, no _needed_ to be flawless around- _knowing_ that she had made this foolish mistake, it made things far worse. As a means of conveying this feeling, Sakura grumbled lowly behind clenched teeth.

He gave a short chuckle. A CHUCKLE. Had he been anyone else, Sakura would most probably have already punched him through a window for his impudence. However, he was not anyone else but the one and only Sasuke Uchiha, and because of this simple fact all Sakura wanted to do right now was to disappear under the ground out of shame.

"Go ahead, laugh at me…" She sighed in defeat, a darker shade of red now shading her cheeks.

As the young man sat down cross legged beside her, he noticed the deep blush covering her face and her averted gaze. Seeing Sakura so embarrassed was a rare sight. This puzzled him greatly, especially since she had stopped rummaging through her bag and was now directing shy green eyes towards the floor.

"Is something wrong?" Sasuke asked as emotionlessly as he could although a barely perceptible tinge of worry was laced in his voice.

A frown still present on her face, Sakura coughed then shook her head briskly "No, no…It's…" She felt Sasuke's stare burning on the side of her head and heating up her face even more. _'Quick Sakura, an excuse…an excuse…'_ She thought helplessly _'Oh! I got it!'_

"I…I didn't think Inari would have changed so much…" she said bashfully. A change of subject was even better than an excuse for her stupidity in her current situation. Besides, she wasn't completely evading his question since this was also upsetting her.

Sasuke's eyes seemed to turn an even darker shade of obsidian with these words as his eyebrows furrowed slightly. It didn't seem like he would talk so Sakura carried on in the same tone "He came about three years ago during the reconstruction of Konoha but he really grew up since then. Inari was still a little boy the last time you saw him, right Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn" the raven haired shinobi vaguely shook his head to confirm her assumption but gave nothing more.

Sakura stole a glance at her companion who had shifted his stare to the parquet before continuing "I…didn't think he would compliment me like that…"

Then his voice came out too fast for him to ponder his question "Is it what's bothering you?" Sasuke's concerned tone surprised the medic since she had expected him to remain silent during her monologue. Though this time he seemed worried, and this fact really touched her considering how rare such display of emotion was for him.

Sakura smiled lightly, still blushing from the fever and looking at her hands in her lap "No, it's just that I don't receive compliments very often."

"I thought you'd be used to it." The words left Sasuke's mouth before he could even register them. Realizing what he had just said, he cursed himself over and over in his mind and hoped that she didn't understand the innuendo in his sentence right away. But he was no fool and knew Sakura was smart enough to immediately detect this unintended hidden compliment.

This was so small. A very short sentence with such genuine kindness in it, Sakura almost didn't believe it. Not poetry, but a few casual words that made her heart flutter and beat slightly faster in her chest. Call her a love-sick, romantically desperate lunatic and she wouldn't mind because of this simple sentence. Two years ago she would have never dared hope for such words to one day escape Sasuke's mouth, especially for her. But now it was real and she could take pride and happiness from this fact. So she let a tiny little part of her feelings seep through her voice and smiled tenderly at him "Thank you."

A short silence followed during which Inner Sakura partied on cloud nine inside the kunoichi's mind and an embarrassed Sasuke shifted uncomfortably on the parquet floor. Sakura coughed some more when suddenly three knocks resounded on the wooden surface of the partly open door.

"Excuse me," It was Tsunami carrying a small pile of woolen pull-overs and warm clothes "I was wondering if Sakura would like to borrow a few things?"

Said pink-haired girl stood up instantly and walked to take the pile from the older women "Ah! Thanks a lot Tsunami-san."

"No problem." Without further ado, she smiled and left the two shinobis alone once again. However, the sound of loud, rapid footsteps soon cut through the silence after the woman's departure and the door opened abruptly as Sakura was sitting back down on her futon to inspect the clothes Tsunami had given her.

"Sakura-chan!" Inari appeared on the doorstep and let himself in a second later. The young medic perked up again to see the boy grinning enthusiastically down at her. "Would you like a tour of town? A lot's changed since you last came here, you know! I can show you around and…"

"She can't."

Inari immediately turned to Sasuke who had shamelessly interrupted him. The raven haired man grabbed his dirty cloak and his katana as he stood up, now a good foot taller than the younger boy. Still, Inari didn't chicken out "Why not? You can't decide for her!"

Sakura didn't say a word, she already knew what Sasuke had in mind so she wasn't surprised when he replied "Sakura's sick. She needs to rest."

This argument was irrefutable considering her condition the previous day. It was undeniable that Sakura wasn't in any state to wander around town. But Inari hadn't witnessed these events and still looked over at the young woman for her opinion on his proposition despite Sasuke's barely repressed glare.

She coughed in her fist then smiled apologetically "I'm sorry Inari, maybe once I feel better."

The emotion that coursed through her once she saw the childish crestfallen expression on the teenager's face was between surprise and great amusement as it was a perfect imitation of Naruto's whenever he was told that Ichiraku Ramen was closed. "Ah, alright…" he said in a failed attempt to hide his deep disappointment "Rest well Sakura-chan." He waved then went to the door, closely followed by Sasuke.

Sakura called the latter before he could exit the room along with Inari "Sasuke-kun, where are you going?"

She wished the fever would dissimulate the shy blush creeping on her cheeks when he turned to her, his dark onyx orbs peering directly into hers "I'll go train outside unless there is something else for me to do."

' _That explains the katana'_ Sakura deduced in her mind. She grinned "Okay."

A simple "Hn" was his response as usual, then he waited for Inari to go first before he closed the door behind the two of them.

Sakura took off her item pouch and other unneeded equipment to lie down on her futon. A guilt she was becoming used to soon overwhelmed her, almost strangling her. Lying down, breathing evenly in and out, shutting and reopening her eyes slowly… as always nothing could make it go away. Her halfway closed emerald orbs settled on a spot on the ceiling without even really looking at it as she began reminiscing. The previous day and night Sasuke had carried her tirelessly for hours on end and had protected her from a crowd of mad people. Now he was leaving for her to rest better. He was being protective of her, or so it seemed. Had Sakura been her selfish twelve year old self, she would have been beyond happiness. But now, however heartwarming the feeling of Sasuke actually _caring_ about her was, it was rapidly overtaken by the guilt of being such a weight to him in just a few days.

' _He does so much for me, he is kind to me…But I have done nothing yet to show him that I'm not a burden anymore… What if I'm still annoying?'_ She had been dwelling on these thoughts for a while now. Sakura knew for sure that she couldn't rely on Sasuke all the time during this journey. No matter how long she had wished for his care and attention before, she now needed to be more independent in order to prove him that she had become strong enough to deserve her place beside him.

This was not about her feelings for him, Sakura simply wanted to confirm how much she had changed while he had been gone, that she no longer needed to be protected and also…that she was strong enough without him. This last thing was the only one she had to persuade both him and herself of. _'I can't live without you'_ is what romance novels always say and Sakura had to admit that all these years without Sasuke had been a heart-ache which she never wanted to go through again after the war. Even when he had left then –Sakura had known that it had been for his sake and redemption only- it had hurt her so much. A part of Sakura told her that no matter what she did the pain of his absence would never subside, but the other more stubborn one was sure that there was a way of becoming strong enough in order not to depend on him all the time. It had become _necessary_ for Sakura to prove herself that she could be strong without Sasuke.

Closing her eyes once more with a sigh, she slowly fell asleep with this resolve in mind. If there were any character traits that the young woman had inherited from her master Tsunade, it was her obstinacy, her despise of defeat and her will to be autonomous. Sakura did not need Sasuke _alone_ to be happy. Sakura was strong.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Done! It annoys me how I always get so many ideas for the author notes while I'm writing the chapter but I don't remember them once I post it..._

 _Well, at least, today is a great day since Naruto Gaiden has come to an end! No more Kishi-trolling, yeah!_

 _Hum Hum (*clears throat). HUGE thanks to everyone who read until now and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If so, you are very welcome to tell me your thoughts and opinions in a review.^^_

 _Stay tuned for the next chapter! I will (hopefully) be able to write more now that Kishi won't sap my inspiration anymore. :)_


	10. Part 2 - Chapter 10

_**FLY AWAY- Part 2 : White Heather**_

 _ **Chapter 10**_

Sasuke cursed; this had to happen eventually. Five days earlier, he had arrived in the Land of Waves after running like a mad man under the rain and in the cold winter wind until he was overly exhausted and had collapsed on the floor. Afterwards, he had had to share a room with his sick teammate for four days and four nights. So it was only natural for him to now experience searing pain every time air coursed inside his throat, be unable to breathe through his obstructed nostrils, and have a scorching headache to top it off: He was sick.

It was a rare thing for Sasuke to be ill, really. The last time he recalled being in such a poor state because of disease went as far as his time training under Orochimaru. Although maybe it had been more because of the strange drugs he had received from the snake sannin and Kabuto than the cold whenever he had practiced his jutsus despite inconvenient meteorological conditions -his last natural flue probably dated from back when he was a child after the loss of his family.

Sasuke tossed and turned again on his futon. Reminiscing would not make the violent shivers, his body's uncomfortable heat from the fever or the burning of his eyes disappear. The first symptoms had manifested two days ago when he had sneezed loudly in the middle of dinner. As a proud Uchiha, Sasuke had remained unfazed despite this embarrassing event and only Sakura had dared let out an amused giggle. Since then a terribly strong fever and headache had taken over his body. _'Maybe training outside the other day wasn't such a good idea'_ he though. Any excuse was good to make it seem like the race from Suiden and sleeping next to Sakura weren't the reasons for his current illness.

The young man had not slept much that night either because of the soreness of his numb limbs and of course his headache. Judging by the cock's cry, he was pretty sure that it wasn't until at least five in the morning that his bloodshot eyes had dropped close in exhaustion. So now, with sun rays invading the room through the light blue curtains and disturbing his slumber, a displeased and tired Sasuke was forced awake to grumpily face the day. Still laying flat on his back, he bent a knee up and rubbed a bare forearm against his closed eyelids. They opened gradually, his vision blurry at first then slightly clearer despite the feverish fog obstructing his onyx orbs. He waited until his view of the ceiling stabilized then slowly sat up, leaning on his left arm behind his back and massaging his temple with his other hand. It all felt like an atrocious hangover -maybe worse- even though Sasuke had to admit he had only experienced this once in his life when after the war he and Naruto had gotten out of the hospital and celebrated all night.

A couple of hoarse coughs escaped his throat. Slightly out of breath, he ran a hand through his messy raven bangs and grumbled in annoyance. One of the things Sasuke Uchiha hated the most was feeling _weak,_ and it was undeniable for him that right now if he were under attack, he would struggle to even use his sharingan and focus on his opponents.

Tilting his head to the side, Sasuke noticed the empty futon beside him. The covers were untidy and when Sasuke touched the body-shaped spot on the thin mattress he felt no warmth, indicating that Sakura had woken up long before him. _'Just what time is it?'_ he wondered, although his mind was still clouded by fatigue. Sighing, Sasuke decided to officially wake up and reached for his usual black shirt which rested neatly folded on his bag as well as the rest of his clothes. Standing up and rapidly changing from his black pajama pants and white cotton T-shirt, he tied the bands on his arms and around his head then lazily walked to the door and down the stairs. There he encountered Tazuna and Tsunami both seated at the table, the former filling in some papers and the latter reading a novel.

Tazuna was first to notice Sasuke's presence and greeted the younger man with a lopsided smirk "You finally rise! I didn't think you were the type to sleep in, you know."

The Uchiha ignored this comment. Tazuna didn't necessarily have to know that he had not found sleep until the early hours of the morning. Sasuke mumbled a low "good morning" so as not to seem rude and inspected the clock hanging on the wall opposite him which indicated half past one in the afternoon. Sasuke was amazed that he had indeed slept that long, but he quickly turned to Tsunami and inquired in a croaky voice "Where is Sakura?"

It took a few seconds for the woman to register his words and look up from her book with a surprised "oh" before she answered "She went in town with Inari."

A short silence followed. Sasuke remained stone-faced even when a mass of thoughts invaded his befuddled mind right at the end of this sentence. Sakura? In town with Inari? But she was still sick! She did get a little better after a couple of days but she kept sniffling and sneezing a lot. The merciless weather wouldn't play in her favor either, with dark gray clouds adorning the sky and gusts of wind beating the walls of the house with the swooshing sounds of sharp blades. What if Sakura's fever went up again because of the cold? What if she came back in the same state as the other day, half conscious and barely standing? What had gone through her head when she decided to go out while she had not completely recovered yet? …Why did it make him worry that much?

The more rational and coldhearted part of Sasuke told him that it was her business alone and that he needn't fuss about such futile matters. Sakura was a strong kunoichi and a medic to boot. She could take care of herself. But… this had not helped her much when she had fallen numb into his arms back on the road to Suiden… Moreover, his teammate's security was far from a futile matter.

"Inari insisted a lot even though she seemed tired when he asked her" Tsunami commented seeing the raven haired shinobi's stillness.

Tired? Didn't that mean that Sakura's fever was still too high? On the outside, Sasuke remained completely poker-faced as per habit so that no one could tell that he was actually beating himself up mentally. He should have woken up earlier and told Sakura not to go, it wasn't reasonable. Apparently, watching over her for the past few days hadn't been enough. He should have known that the enemy…err, Inari would use any opportunity to take her outside where her condition could only worsen.

Tazuna looked up from his paperwork and readjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose before speaking, his voice somewhat uneasy "Ah, Tsunami, you make it sound like he dragged her out by force. Sakura wasn't exactly opposed to the idea."

Tsunami pouted "Yeah, maybe…" She glared at her father from the corner of her eye, silently proclaiming the end of this conversation.

'… _She wasn't opposed to it?'_ Just when Sasuke had come to believe that his teammate had matured over the years, she was now acting like an unreasonable little girl again. And Inari…He was way too selfish, way too inexperienced, way too childish to take good care of Sakura. Sasuke's prior idea had been to wait for the kunoichi's return and give her a good piece of his mind but now, his natural instincts forced him to act on a larger extent. So despite the more rational and coldhearted part of himself yelling angrily at him within his mind, the ninja grabbed his cloak on the coat rack by the door and took his leave without another word.

Tazuna stared after him and sighed deeply, turning to his daughter who had resumed reading her novel "Really Tsunami, I thought you would understand that your son took Sakura on a _date_ this morning."

She frowned as her reading was interrupted once more then gave her father a bored look "Of course I know, I'm not blind."

"Then why did you push Sasuke to go find them?"

It was Tsunami's turn to sigh "Look, I know Inari has a soft spot for Sakura, but I don't want it to be too hard for him when he gets rejected. That's why I would prefer him to realize it little by little." Tazuna gaped in outrage. She was talking about her son! How come did she not support him at hundred percent like she was supposed to?

The jet black haired woman gave her father a wry smile "Let's face it, this girl is already taken."

Meanwhile, the sharingan wielder -unable to run because of his foggy vision and sore limbs- was taking large strides on the creaking wooden pontoons in the outskirt residential area of town. It wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes for him to reach the center of the small city but no matter how much he tried to speed up the pace, it always seemed like he wasn't fast enough. Sakura was far from cured, therefore he needed to bring her back as quickly as he could. For some reason, Sasuke couldn't help this protective reaction. He needed his teammate to be safe and well by his side, not sick, in the cold and under the watch of a teenager unable to provide protection when she was in a state of weakness. The obsidian eyed ninja knew that she probably wasn't in mortal danger right now but he made it his top priority to help her recover from her illness as soon as possible, for one thing that Sasuke had much trouble redeeming himself for during his journey was all the pain he had inflicted upon Sakura in the past and even now. Maybe this had not much to do with the current situation, but the young Uchiha had silently promised on the day he apologized to her that he would do his very best to spare her any more sufferings. After all, the main reason why it annoyed him to no end that she made him worry so much was that she was one of the rare persons on this Earth he genuinely cared about, even though he would never admit it aloud…

So Sasuke walked as fast as his body would let him and arrived slightly breathless in the commercial streets of the city. He recalled that, back when he had come with Suigetsu to retrieve Zabuza's sword, the ground had been nothing more than plain soil and dirt with beggars wearing torn rags sitting at every corner. The buildings had been old and wooden, like the rest of the town, and the whole city had had an overall grayish atmosphere, reminiscent of the mist surrounding the island. Unlike then, the ground was now decorated with paved lines on each side of the main road and the shop's walls were either painted in different shades of blue and green or decorated with large colorful signs and flags. Some read 'Murino fishing: fishing rods, live worms and baits' or 'The splendid and unique tailor of the Waves' others advertised fish stores and grocery shops. The stark contrast was further displayed by the impressive amount of people happily discussing in the streets. In the past, they used to be gloomy and desperate because of their poverty, but this change in the population's mood was a proof that the general condition of the Wave country had greatly improved in a few years.

Sasuke passed countless people, bumped in a few of them but neither minded nor had the time to apologize. He carefully scanned the area with his more or less alert coal eyes for a spot of pink hair but the task proved to be difficult with the constant buzzing in his ears caused by the fever as well as his frequent stops to roughly cough in his elbow. Determined still, Sasuke carried on his self-assigned mission despite his poor condition. Failure was never an option to him anyway.

"SHAANNAROOO!"

Sasuke lifted up his head instantly. Only a pink haired medic would ever use this battle cry in a bustling crowd. The noise had attracted many passersby's attention and the Uchiha had to fight his way through them towards the source of the commotion. There he found the one and only Sakura Haruno wearing tight jeans, a light green scarf and a brown jacket over a navy blue pullover that he remembered Tsunami giving her the other day. A couple of paper shopping bags had fallen by her side and although her back was turned to him, Sasuke could clearly sense the threatening chakra surrounding her as she looked down at a group of teens. They were three, around Inari's age, two of them crouching fearfully beside their injured friend who was slumped against the wooden white wall of a shop. Said boy was holding his obviously bleeding nose with his red stained hand and staring at Sakura with eyes so wide and terrified that they could have rivaled Sasuke's when he first met Orochimaru during the Chuunin exams.

Sakura punched her fist into her other hand in a combative stance "Don't you fucking dare touch me! You fucking pervert!"

The teens' knees actually trembled when the medic roared this warning at them. Like scared deers under a panther's predatory gaze, they scurried away as fast and as far as their legs could carry them. Even after they had disappeared, Sakura was still fuming and mumbling colorful words under her breath while she picked up her bags "Damn perverts, so rude and filthy…The little bastards, they…"

"Sakura" the Uchiha's voice was hoarse from all the coughing when he called her name, surprising him a little.

The young jounin perked up immediately, astounded viridian eyes meeting dark obsidian orbs. She was unable to move, completely stunned for a moment, so Sasuke plodded to her side and grabbed her wrist, already turning his back to her to walk away "We're going back to Tazuna's."

"W-what?" Sakura stammered, slowly recovering from her shock. "Sasuke-kun, what are you doing here?"

He only pulled harder in reply and noticed the crowd around them dispersing, probably uninterested in how the situation had turned out. But Sakura remained rooted on her spot, determined not to move. So Sasuke cleared his sore throat and repeated in a tone closer to his usual emotionless deep one "We're going back, it's cold here."

Then Sakura understood. Sasuke had come to fetch her in order to play bodyguard with her all day like he had done until now. This was yet another way of protecting her despite her best attempts at being independent. Why was he being so protective? She wasn't in danger! The drubbing she had just given the perverted teenager was enough proof that she could easily defend herself in a small peaceful city like this one.

"Hey" Inari called out defiantly to Sasuke who had failed to notice him "Don't act so bossy, you can't order her around."

As a response the older man turned his head to give the boy his infamous Uchiha glare, his onyx eyes on the verge of turning blood red behind his raven bangs. This completely silenced the gulping Inari, the dark intimidating aura surrounding the shinobi strangely reminding him of Sakura's from a minute ago.

Sasuke tugged on the pink haired girl's wrist again, but more forcefully this time "You shouldn't have gone out in this cold." Sasuke wasn't looking directly at her but the wind beating them was starting to raise goose bump everywhere on his skin and he could only imagine that it had the same effect the same on Sakura. The cold made him shiver and he fought with all his might not to cough loudly in front of his teammate. "Now we need to go or your condition will worsen."

"Sasuke-kun, I'm fine really. I feel a lot better now" the medic-nin tried to convince him. True, her symptoms were not entirely gone yet, but the improvement of her state was still remarkable.

Nothing but silence met her supposedly reassuring statement. Then Sasuke tiredly turned to inspect her face with foggy coal eyes. Sakura was smiling uneasily under his gaze with lips that seemed dry because of the wind and her cheeks, previously slightly pink from the cold, were gradually turning a darker shade of red. However, unlike what the Uchiha thought at the time, the cold was not to blame for the deep crimson color of her skin. In fact, in order not to painfully twist his right shoulder when turning to her, his hand had dropped to hold hers instead of her wrist. The simple feeling of his large masculine fingers wrapping around her small hand and holding it strongly yet not to hard so as not to hurt her made Sakura blush madly in spite of herself. She just couldn't help it, no matter how chaste such a gesture was.

The color of her face alone wasn't enough to completely confirm his assumptions so -to worsen the kunoichi's flustered state- Sasuke lifted his other hand up. Two opposed tints of emerald and crimson clashed on Sakura's face as her eyes widened a little more at the unexpected movement. The 'thump thump' of her heart resounded like a drum roll in her ears with the light graze of his thumb against her burning cheek, then she blinked, her vision obstructed for a brief second when he brought his palm further up. Finally its journey ended, it was left on her oh so hated forehead, calmly resting.

Sakura was lost in this fleeting moment with no idea of time and space until the now certain Sasuke spoke, never breaking eye contact "Your face is very warm unlike your hand, and your fever is still high." This proved his point, the stark contrast in her body temperature made it crystal clear that she was still sick.

Even when the hand on her forehead dropped to rest by its owner's side, Sakura remained unable to speak, her confidence gone, part of her resolve as well…Why was she here again? Why hadn't she stayed at Tazuna's with Sasuke in the first place? _'Oh! Right, I almost forgot…'_

Still embarrassed in the aftermath of his touch, she gave him a shy smile "I-I swear I feel perfectly fine but…" she gestured to the paper bag under her free arm "Look, Inari showed me a shop where they sell medicinal herbs. Thanks to this _we_ 'll be up and about in less than two days!" Sakura was glad that she had decided to bught these. At first she had hesitated because of the need to save up money for their journey, but this way she could truly make herself useful.

Sasuke tensed at the 'we'. He should have known that the experienced pink haired medic would figure out his illness in a second in spite of his efforts to conceal it. He nonetheless stayed impassive in front of her and simply eyed the bag before tugging on her hand once more "Right, let's go."

Sakura nodded hesitantly and gazed at Inari behind her. Total shock was painted all over his face, his mouth forming a perfect 'O' in bafflement and a disappointed look in his eyes. "I wanted to show you the plaza and…"

Another look from Sasuke silenced him. The kunoichi smiled apologetically "I'm sorry Inari, I really enjoyed this stroll, but maybe we can see the plaza next time."

The teen grunted with a sheepish grin and a pinkish tinge on his cheeks, then followed the two shinobis who were already walking away towards Tazuna's house. Not a word was spoken for a while as they crossed the bustling roads. Sakura was still blushing, her gaze fixed on Sasuke's hand tightly holding onto hers in order to not to lose her in the massive sea of people around them (and maybe prevent her from escaping too). She didn't want to hope for something impossible so she only fantasized for a moment that they would stay like this the whole way. But as expected, his fingers eventually unclasped from her thin ones at the end of the commercial district where the crowd was thinner. _Slightly_ disappointed, the young woman felt the need to fill in the now overwhelming silence that was only ever disturbed by the loud swooshes of the wind.

And so, Sakura started babbling about what she had done with Inari prior to Sasuke's arrival. She answered every question that he may have asked had he not been an Uchiha and always glanced at him to tell whether she was annoying him before she chained with another event of her morning in town. Sasuke seemed uninterested, but the lack of frown on his face told her that she could go on talking.

"I took advantage of this outing to ask around for Haruko, remember? The girl from Suiden. Unfortunately no one seems to have seen her here… Then I did quite some shopping, you know, since I didn't take enough _adequate_ clothes with me. I didn't buy much but by the time Inari and I came out of the shop it was already noon, so we ate in this little okonomiyaki restaurant. I was impressed! It was so good! Much better than what we have in Konoha concerning fish food. Oh, by the way, you remember the dango shop back there? I wish we could go try it sometime, since Naruto only ever takes us to Ichiraku."

An amused 'hmm' escaped Sasuke's lips. At the mention of his hero, Inari jumped to life behind them and the conversation soon turned to the subject of Naruto Uzumaki, how he still bragged loudly to anyone who crossed his road that he would become Hokage and basically how he hadn't changed one bit since the last time Inari saw him.

"I bet Naruto would've beaten Akane too if he'd been there!" The widely grinning boy imagined an angry Uzumaki fighting in the most 'badass' way he could imagine.

Sakura frowned, puzzled "Akane?"

"Oh yeah," Inari got out of his reverie "That guy who groped you earlier."

The medic-nin's hands balled into fists by her side and her walk became much more rigid at the mention of the incident. In the corner of her eye, she could see Sasuke also stiffening beside her since he hadn't known the reason for Sakura's earlier outburst and only had guessed that the boy had acted as stupidly as Naruto usually did to make her this angry. However, this clarification made him want to use the powerful depths of his torturous genjutsu to make this Akane guy deeply regret his deeds. Only the satisfaction provided by the remembrance of the vicious boy's decrepit aspect after Sakura's sucker punch kept him from going back to do so.

Eventually, Sakura spoke between clenched teeth in a voice dripping with venom "Naruto wouldn't have done that."

"Eh? Why?" Inari inquired, quite confused.

"Because even he is smart enough to know that beating the crap out of filthy perverts is my privilege alone. It's only payback after all. Besides, if he did try to do it for me, I would hit the perv first and _then_ get on Naruto's case."

Inari was speechless at that. He did not use to spend much time with the emerald eyed kunoichi back when she had come with team seven to protect his grand-father, but whatever memory he had of her didn't include such a violent temperament.

A few moments later, the three were greeted by Tsunami and Tazuna -still in the same position as Sasuke had left them- when they reached the house.

"You took longer than I thought" the old man said, looking up at Sasuke. Nothing but hard coughs answered him as the raven haired ninja took off his cloak to hang it on the coat rack.

Putting her bags down on the table, Sakura turned and cast her companion a worried look "I didn't think your sickness would worsen like this. It's probably because of the cold outside."

"Hn" the Uchiha sat down at the table across from Tazuna and Inari.

"I'll make you some tea with medicinal herbs!" The medic exclaimed with a bright smile "Can I borrow a few things, Tsunami-san?"

With the woman's nod, Sakura marched determinedly to the kitchen counter and took out some particular items from one of her paper bags. Having sorted them, she started rummaging through the cupboards for a teapot, spoons and mugs while at the table Inari was examining his grand-father's papers and Tsunami carried on reading her novel. The sound of boiling water and that of Sakura's knife expertly cutting certain plants on the wooden counter punctuated the silence in the room for a few minutes before Tazuna looked up from his construction plans at Sasuke.

"Indeed you don't look so good" he stated, observing the younger man's red cheeks and feverish eyes as well as his arms tightly holding his sides, his rounded back and his overall crooked posture. The Uchiha nonetheless remained poker faced as always, a poor attempt to seem fine despite the shivers coursing through his body every now and then. The elder bridge builder continued speaking, his voice not in the least worried, maybe even slightly taunting "Are you sure you'll be able to escort us when we'll leave for Kirigakure in two days?"

Sasuke had just enough time to glare behind messy bangs before Sakura placed a mug of warm herb tea in front of him. Smiling sweetly, she cut in their conversation "Don't worry Tazuna-san, with this, we'll both be as strong as ever by tomorrow morning!"

The old man chuckled and Sasuke, who had just smelled his beverage, wrinkled his nose in mild disgust at the peculiar odor. Despite his best efforts Sakura of course noticed this.

"Yeah, it might not taste very good, but it _is_ effective."

Seeing the male shinobi's suspiscious frown, Tazuna chuckled "It better be."

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Sakura's bad cooking strikes again!_

 _I really couldn't resist the idea of having Tazuna tease Sasuke. He has seen him as a twelve year old after all, there's no reason why he would be intimidated.^^_

 _Also, this is the last chapter of Part 2. Maybe some of you already guessed why it was called "White Heather"? Well, I googled 'flower meaning' and found out that it is actually the flower symbolizing "protection". I wish I could buy a full dictionary of flower meanings..._

 _As always, reviews are very much appreciated! Thank you for reading up 'till now and stay tuned for the next chapter (a surprise meeting awaits)! ;)_


	11. Part 3 - Chapter 11

_**FLY AWAY- Part 3 : The Hint**_

 _ **Chapter 11**_

As expected from a day of the middle of March, winter had not yet given up its place to the upcoming spring and spots of pale yellowish blue sky were still playing hide and seek behind a blanket of cotton like gray clouds. Only a few rays of dimming light reached the earth along with gentle swipes of wind dancing through the air. Surprisingly, it was a clear late afternoon, and the cold and violence gone from the breeze made it all the more agreeable when you were on the roads. Still, the atmosphere was a little fresh and a humid fog that stuck to the ground followed travelers on their path to the Hidden Mist Village, for the region was true to its namesake. Framed by bare tree branches on each side of the dusty road, forming an almost perfect alley, the sun was already low on the horizon so that travelers had to shield their eyes from its light shining right onto their faces.

Having just arrived on the main island of the Water Country where its shinobi village was located after taking a boat, Sasuke, Sakura, Tazuna and Inari had begun a long walk towards Kirigakure. Considering that they had departed late in the morning because of the 'Inari issue' and that the trip across the sea had lasted about four hours, it gave them no more than an hour now before nightfall.

Inari and Tazuna were walking ahead with the two ninjas bringing up the rear. Looking over at Sakura from time to time, Sasuke couldn't help being concerned about his teammate's choice of clothes. Even though she had tried to listen to his advice and picked out something supposedly more adapted to the weather, the young man still wasn't convinced. She now had a dark red qipao dress similar to the one she once wore as a genin, only since this one wasn't planned to be a ninja outfit, Sakura had had to adjust it herself and cut two symmetrical slits on the sides of her hips to allow more movement during battle. A traditional sakura flower pattern decorated the lower border of the dress and the kunoichi had also sewn her family's circular white symbol on the back. She of course had conserved the large belt on her waist, her tight black shorts and shuriken pouch on her right leg but the part that Sasuke didn't like was that the dress was still sleeveless like her previous shorter one and that it only reached past her knees, unable to protect much of her skin from the fresh air. To compensate for these details, the pink haired medic kept her leather gloves on at all times along with the light pink cloth on her elbows and had found a pair of combat leg warmers –much like those she used to wear when she was sixteen- to cover her shins. Draped over her shoulders and with only the three upper buttons closed around the kunoichi's neck was her dark cloak -the Uchiha's sole comfort. As a final touch, she wore the light green scarf Tsunami had given her as a farewell present, highlighting the viridian glint of her eyes.

Sasuke had to admit, she looked very nice like this. Only how could he truly appreciate Sakura's genuine beauty when he knew she was still probably cold and exposed to illness? However to him, no less bewitching were the elegant shadows cast on her peachy pale skin, emphasizing every curve of her thin jaw line, the rounded end of her small, cute nose and the relaxed arch of her eyebrows right under the indigo diamond on her forehead; the golden glow of the late afternoon sun on her fine rose colored tresses as they danced, tangling and flowing gently in the wind; her emerald eyes sparkling like a crystal prism with a brightness and vibrancy that were exclusively hers.

Sakura had not noticed her teammate's frequent glances or maybe was too pleased to tell him off, but she didn't let anything show, her expression still composed and her rosy lips slightly turned upwards as she walked. The funny thing was, Sasuke only caught himself watching her after a while and started beating himself up mentally, forcing his eyes to stay fixed upon the road. Just when his usually iron strong resolve began wavering and he stole a quick look at the radiant medic-nin, Inari chose to break the silence by readjusting the strap of his heavy backpack and sighing "Are we there yet?"

Sakura gave an amused giggle a short way behind him "I don't think so." She turned to her companion next to her for confirmation, to which he responded by a very Uchiha like grunt, not keen on granting her the honor of a full sentence when he had been so close to getting caught staring.

"You're not tired yet, are you Inari?" The boy's grand-father chuckled "You're supposed to be young and robust, unlike me."

"Yeah, well…"

Tazuna sniggered then sighed in turn, stopping in his tracks to carefully rub his aching back with a low moan of pain "Though I agree, we've been walking for a while now, and I'm not fit for long travels anymore."

The others halted after the old man. Sakura was first to speak "Sasuke-kun, maybe we should take a break?" she suggested. Sakura wasn't so tired herself but it was understandable that an elder man like Tazuna possessed less stamina than trained shinobis.

"It won't be long before sunset" Sasuke replied blankly. It was more of a statement than a counter; he just wanted to inform the rest of the group of his earlier conclusions.

Sakura seemed deep in thoughts for a moment, a finger on her lips and her left hand on her hip. "Can I have a look at the map?"

Sasuke didn't bother to nod and simply grabbed the rolled up piece of paper inside his bag to hand it to her. The kunoichi fumbled with it for a moment. She crouched down and settled it on the ground to have a better look while Tazuna let his back slide against a tree trunk to sit between two large roots. Inari simply stayed put behind Sakura to see the map over her shoulder.

The young medic bit her lip and hummed sullenly under her breath. When Sasuke curiously looked down to meet her eyes, she explained her discontentment by circling a rather large and completely green area on the old piece of paper with her gloved finger "The closest village from here is more than ten miles away. We won't be able to reach it before sunset."

"Hn" Sasuke nodded. Sleeping under the stars and in the cold didn't bother him that much since years of traveling had made him used to it to the point where he even came to appreciate it. No inn could rival the calm, quiet and peace provided by silent forests or forlorn fields, but he wasn't sure whether Inari and Tazuna would feel the same about this prospect.

"Hey, don't think I can't keep up, Sakura-chan!" Inari exclaimed with a toothy grin that she could clearly imagine since her back was turned to him. "Ninjas are fast, but I'll be just fine!"

Inari huffed when Sasuke let out a sigh at his bragging. More kindly, Sakura smiled despite the boy's poor attempt at showing off in front of her before a grunt erupted on the other side of the road and she quickly turned to the sore old man seated there. With a glance at Sasuke, she left the boys to assist Tazuna with a few homemade ointments and medical ninjutsu.

In silence, Sasuke studied the old map for another minute then rolled it up again and put it back inside his bag. As he watched the golden orange colors of the twilight sky slowly sinking into dark blue with the sun's disappearance behind the hills, Inari cleared his throat just loud enough for the raven haired shinobi to hear. Sasuke tilted his head sharply towards the boy whose face was adorned with a deep frown.

Two pairs of black orbs met "Why do you hate me so much?" the youngest inquired boldly.

The oldest's reply was emotionless, as always "I don't hate you." This boy should have known that when Sasuke truly hated someone, nothing but death in the dark flames of Amaterasu awaited them.

"Then why do you despise me so much? Is it because of Sakura-chan?"

The Uchiha's tone turned colder, yet his face remained unreadable with only the slightest trace of knitted eyebrows behind raven bangs "I don't know what you're talking about."

At that, Inari growled like a frustrated big cat. He mumbled all sorts of unintelligible curses behind clenched teeth, then looked up at Sasuke with a defiant spark in his eyes "Well, I might be a bother to you but damn, you're so annoying!"

Poker faced in front of this insult, Sasuke almost wanted to laugh. Maybe he would tell Sakura about it later but Inari was still ranting "You always act so damn superior! I don't recall you were like that back then but seriously man, what's your problem? I've been trying to be nice to you this whole time even though you kept being so annoying with that contemptuous attitude and all! Geez! I'm trying to make an effort! Do the same, at least for Sakura-chan!"

Now, Sasuke was irritated _'How dare he? I've been coping with that brat's selfishness for a week and now he starts lecturing me?'_ The whole time he had stayed at Tazuna's, Inari had acted like a childish teenage boy only minding about Sakura. He had worn her out with his constant babbling, dragged her outside in the cold when she was still sick and he wasn't fit to protect her… These facts among others proved that Inari's infatuation for the pink haired kunoichi was nothing more than a teenage crush and a pretext to seem mature in front of all the other boys of his age, even though Inari himself probably wasn't aware of it. Sasuke never questioned his judgment since he honestly thought that he hadn't done anything to upset the younger boy to that point. What he didn't understand though, was that it was precisely his protectiveness of Sakura and his overall distant character that had built up such resentment within Inari.

"Come on, say something!" the boy exclaimed, this time truly and fully exasperated because of the Uchiha's silence.

A low chuckle escaped Sasuke's lips before he spoke in the blank tone that infuriated Inari even more "You don't really care about Sakura, but you're just a kid after all."

"Oh yeah…?" Inari tensely clenched his teeth again, his face becoming red in anger. Sasuke predicted the boy would come up with another unfounded argument then, but against all expectations, Inari raised tightly balled fists in front of his face as an improvised guard and glared at the shinobi "I know you think I'm immature and can't protect Sakura-chan or something, but I'll prove you otherwise! I can protect those dear to me with these two arms!"

Inari jumped up to throw a first punch at Sasuke's jaw but the taller young man evaded the blow with ease by simply stepping aside. Despite that, Inari persisted even though the raven haired ninja avoided all of his attacks without breaking a sweat.

"Hey, you two!" Sakura shouted from Tazuna's side once her gaze landed on the poor spar her teammate and Inari had started "What are you doing!?"

Sasuke's facial expression was blank, almost bored as Inari's punches became more fervent with Sakura's interruption. He tilted his head, bent down, side-stepped, jumped away, crouched again, and repeated the motion without doing so much as touching the boy to block his attacks.

"Stop that and fight!" Inari shouted arrogantly before trying a different approach and aiming a clumsy kick at Sasuke's stomach.

A small smirk made its way to the experienced fighter's lips. In one split second he had dodged and reappeared behind Inari's back to hold him back with a strong forearm hooked around his neck. The boy gagged as the air was momentarily knocked out of his lungs in Sasuke's strangulating grip. Yet the shinobi didn't make any dangerous move to clench harder and only spoke in this proud, low tone of his "Don't underestimate the Uchiha."

Sakura sighed at that _'he still says this whenever he can'_. Inari was struggling to break free from the shinobi's hold, so she stepped closer to the two "Sasuke-kun, that's enough."

Since her tone indicated more of a request than an order, Sasuke let the boy go, but not without slight disappointment. This spar had not been any fun for him. He was about to torture Inari with such complaints when his eyes widened slightly and a smirk returned to his lips. Catching his gaze, Sakura immediately understood.

No more than three seconds of silence gave Inari the time to recover from his exhausting fight, then the metallic sound of sharp blades clashing met his ears and the violent energy wave emanating from the impact had him stepping back in search for his balance. Sasuke had blocked the fervent blow aimed at the three's necks in one swift movement of his lightning enhanced Kusanagi. The swords trembled with the strengths of their respective wielders and the Uchiha exploited this short moment to study his attacker in detail. Judging by the muscle mass of the enemy's forearm, it was obviously a man, fully cloaked, with his hood on and about the same height as him. As for his weapons, they were a pair of peculiar swords that seemed extremely sharp and lightning enhanced like Sasuke's. Though what attracted the dark haired man's attention was a strange aspect of the twin swords: a little like traditional sai daggers, two smaller blades were on each side of the main one reminiscent of thorns on the stem of a rose. It was this particular shape that enabled Sasuke to confirm his earlier assumption when he had felt another chakra around, these were the Kiba swords, part of the seven famous blades of Kirigakure.

Not wasting any more time, the stranger somersaulted a few meters away but upon landing came face to face with Sasuke again. The Uchiha rapidly attacked, chaining katana swipes with precise kicks and punches which his opponent had great difficulty avoiding. This was without doubt much more entertaining than the spar with Inari. After a high kick, the enemy staggered for a second and without Sasuke even giving a sign, Sakura immediately jumped into action, exactly according to his plan.

It all happened in only a couple of seconds: the Uchiha sidestepped as Sakura back attacked their aggressor with a monumental battle cry. As expected, the cloaked man turned around to open his guard and receive Sakura's sucker punch. Only when it landed on his stomach, Sakura didn't feel firm bones cracking or so much as skin. It was cold, humid water that surrounded her fist. Her green eyes widened like saucers when she saw the rest of the man's body liquefying. Alert at once, the medic-nin jumped away to analyze the situation in case Sasuke hadn't already prepared a backup plan, which she highly doubted. Her teammate was located a short way behind the liquefied figure of the cloaked man, within immediate range of attack. With a large smirk on his face, he extended his electricity charged palm towards the enemy to activate his technique.

"Chidori Nagashi!"

Electricity coursed through the air all around Sasuke and reached the spot where the 'water man' was standing. They all knew: raiton techniques are suiton's weakness; water doesn't resist lightning. The man screamed in pain when he was electrocuted then, gradually returning to his human form, fell down breathlessly on one knee.

Sasuke spoke arrogantly as the last sparks of lightning over his arm vanished one after the other "I thought you'd know better than to attack me after all this time."

Sakura was utterly puzzled by this sentence _'What did he mean by that? Does he…?'_ It was when the cloaked man responded that she was sure of her supposition, even though the situation confused her all the more.

"Heheh" The mysterious attacker sneered "So you really haven't changed a bit, still the same bigheaded Uchiha Sasuke, huh?"

Since both Tazuna and Inari were too shocked to say anything, Sakura voiced their mutual question "Sasuke-kun, who is this man?"

"Let me introduce myself" the stranger said before her teammate could answer. He laboriously stood up and grabbed an item on his belt –apparently a can of juice-then lowered his hood. Sakura studied him silently, from his gray pants, black, tight long sleeved shirt, and dark, violet large scarf to his pointed shark like teeth, bluish white hair and amethyst almond shaped eyes. He smiled in a friendly way "I'm Suigetsu Hozuki, one of Sasuke's old companions."

Sakura was still in awe when Tazuna's voice suddenly came back in a tone that barely dissimulated his fright "I know this name, he's a wanted criminal. An armada of hunter-nins is after him!"

Suigetsu pouted "Now now old man, I haven't done anything wrong lately. I don't see why these guys are still after me but well…" He put his can under his elbow to hold it before bending down to grab the twin swords lying on the ground at his feet. He then lifted them to form a cross in front of his face and Sakura instantly moved in front of the old bridge builder, a kunai in hand to protect him in case Suigetsu attempted anything. But the expert swordsman merely swung the blades nimbly between his fingers to put them into their holster on his back, still smirking "…I guess that's just how it is."

Sakura didn't lower her kunai "Why did you attack us?"

He chuckled "Because I pitied Sasuke for fighting with a brat."

Sasuke's smirk disappeared in a flash with this comment, quickly replaced by his usual frown; Inari scowled but didn't dare say a word in fear of the white haired ninja's impressive skill. Placing her kunai back inside its pouch on her right leg, Sakura walked a few steps towards Sasuke who was observing her impassively. Silence became overwhelming as she passed Suigetsu to inspect her teammate for any trace of injury. There was none, and so she turned to the swordsman to speak since no one else seemed up to it "If what Tazuna-san said is true and you are a missing-nin, we should inform the Hunters."

Her tone was serious, maybe eveny cold, surprising her three companions a little. Sasuke tended to forget sometimes that behind her gentle personality she was a strong and dutiful kunoichi. Suigetsu moaned childishly in discontentment "Yeah but, as I said, I really haven't done anything wrong since I left Sasuke after the war…"

"Still, you attacked us" Sakura countered.

"Look, I might be the great Suigetsu Hozuki but I knew that 'grumpy' over there would be up to the challenge" he pointed at Sasuke with his thumb as he said this in a bored tone and received a cold glare from the Uchiha. "Besides, he knows that this was my way of greeting him after all this time."

Sakura contemplated this answer for a moment but truly didn't hold anything against Suigetsu. She had already more or less figured out his motives once she had discovered that he was a former member of team Taka and was pretty sure that the friendly-looking man sipping his juice with a toothy grin in front of her wasn't any source of danger. However, knowing that he was a wanted missing-nin, she looked up at Sasuke in order to ask him whether his acquaintance was trust-worthy.

"Hn" the raven haired man understood the inquiry in her emerald eyes. "Suigetsu, if you're being hunted down, why do you stay in the Water country?"

A spark of annoyance flickered through his violet orbs as the swordsman sighed "I'll explain as we walk if you want, it'll be faster this way."

"Walk?" Inari's voice erupted from behind them. He had joined his grand-father to help him stand up while the three shinobis were talking. Overcoming his previous fear, he clarified his question "Walk where?"

"I saw you were looking for a place to spend the night earlier…" Suigetsu enlightened. Pausing, he quirked an eyebrow and shook his can only to notice that it was empty. He grouchily placed it in a pouch on his belt and took out a brand new one to start drinking again. His grin returning, he mumbled a small "Better" before continuing "…So I was thinking: maybe I could show them this village two miles away that's sooo tiny that it isn't on the map? But if you're too tired kid, then it's too bad…"

Inari tensed in embarrassment but didn't have the time to protest before Sasuke spoke emotionlessly "Why would you do that? You only ever cared about yourself."

' _Look who's talking'_ Suigetsu thought snidely. The white haired man explained with another sigh "I've settled down there and I was about to go back too, so it doesn't really bother me…" He lowered his eyes for a second, only to lift them back up with a glint of self-interest only Sasuke could recognize, for he knew all along that his former companion had never been a truly altruist person. Suigetsu bared his pointed shark teeth in a smile, his voice low "…Though I could use this girl's assistance in exchange for my help."

Sakura's eyebrows arched up slightly, but she quickly recovered from her surprise when Sasuke moved forward to stand beside her. He didn't seem to notice the arm that had been lying limply on his side lifting up a little in front of his teammate in a protective gesture, although the rosy tint of Sakura's cheeks clearly indicated that she did. No emotion was decipherable in his voice when he asked "What do you want from her?"

Suigetsu almost laughed out loud, but only let out an amused and barely audible "Oh, I see…" under his breath. He spoke up "She's a medic-nin, isn't she? The fifth Hokage's famed disciple from the Fourth Great Ninja War. Well, I got a nasty wound from a fight about a month ago and I think she could help with that."

Sasuke relaxed a bit after this clarification and let his arm drop again. Suigetsu couldn't resist the temptation of teasing him "Don't worry, I won't do anything to your precious _friend_!"

Sakura turned her head and brushed a few locks of hair into her face to hide her reddening cheeks while Sasuke growled, quickly making his way to the grinning swordsman "Show us the way, it's already nightfall."

Satisfied by the effect of his comment, Suigetsu chuckled quietly and followed the Uchiha on the road without another word. Indeed, the light provided by the last rays of the sun was rapidly fading behind the hills where it had disappeared earlier as the dark blue of the night slowly crawled onto the dimming red of the sky. Sakura joined Inari and Tazuna behind Sasuke and Suigetsu as they began walking under the very first stars that lit up the dark heavens.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _I'm sorry this chapter is one day late again! I hope you forgive me..._

 _I told you a familiar face was going to make an appearance in this chapter, well? Who guessed it was Suigetsu?^^_

 _I honestly can't believe that he would have gone back to Orochimaru like an obedient puppy after the war. To me, he sneaked away and went into hiding before starting on his quest for the legendary swords of Kiri again. Though it doesn't mean that he wouldn't be able to join up with Orochimaru later on (to be logical with Gaiden). Feel free to tell me how you feel about this, I'm interested in all opinions!_

 _I also tried to give Suigetsu some kind of 'attitude' because I see him as a very fun character... At least it's fun to write him. So, did it work?_

 _Reviews are very VERY much appreciated, so please, spend a minute to tell me what you thought!_

 _Until next time! ;)_


	12. Part 3 - Chapter 12

_**FLY AWAY- Part 3 : The Hint**_

 _ **Chapter 12**_

"Here, this is it." Suigetsu moved forward before the group of travelers, his arm extended in order to grandiosely present the village which had become his shelter.

This was truly tinier than even a small village. With an imposing large bare tree in the middle of only about five houses placed on each side of the road, the place was more of a hamlet lost in the woods than a crowded stopping-off place like Inari and Tazuna's town. However, the wooden homes of the few people still in the street at this time were far from miserable like backwater country buildings usually appeared to travelers. All were at least two floors tall, and the fine jet black tiles shining with the little light left outside only added to their splendor, for the complicated structures of the roofs as well as the architecture of the buildings as a whole were a clear reminder of Asiatic pagodas. Doors were a bit elevated from the ground with a couple of stair steps and a short terrace surrounding the habitations like a corridor. The details on the finely carved rails of these terraces was also impressive, depicting thin curves, spirals and complex patterns at every corner of the square shaped house. Inhabitants seemed to enjoy putting all sorts of flowery plants in front of their beautiful houses as decoration, but during winter only the large leaves of evergreen vegetation had resisted the cold. A few immaculate snowdrops and pansy flowers nevertheless added tints of white, dark blue and orange to the mix.

Sakura stared in awe. Such a beautiful, authentic place… Even with all her missions, never in her life had she seen this. She was used to Hidden Villages or huge bustling cities like those neighboring Konoha. She had also seen a couple villages within her home country but however ridiculous this could seem, this one place made her feel like she had truly discovered something new. After being locked up for months inside Konoha's Hospital with nothing to look at but the seasons passing by through her patients' rooms' windows, this sight was _new_. A simple hamlet with an architecture that she had never seen anywhere else…Maybe she was exaggerating –just a little- but right then she couldn't be happier to have left on this trip with Sasuke.

"So pretty…" She breathed out in spite of herself. Quickly realizing that she had voiced her thoughts, the pink haired kunoichi instinctively brought a hand to her mouth in embarrassment, but thankfully no one seemed to notice.

"C'mon, I'll show you the five star hotel" Suigetsu waved for the others to follow him towards the first building on their left.

A peculiar sound could be heard from within as they neared the house: notes, a gentle melody…Someone was probably playing music. Suigetsu lazily pushed the door open and the rest of the group followed silently behind him, making the parquet floor creak with their tired steps. Once inside, Sakura observed the interior eagerly, taking in the old painted scrolls on the walls and the flowers placed on two twin tables, one against the wall opposite her, the other next to a rocking chair in which a lady in her late thirties was seated, calmly reading a book. On the left, a teenage girl, maroon haired with clear cerulean eyes, was standing up hurriedly from her seat in front of a dark wooden upright piano.

"Sui-san, welcome back!" She exclaimed, her eyes glinting with joy.

Suigetsu grumbled as he took off his black cloak to hang it on the coat rack right next to the door "I told you not to call me that…"

The girl didn't seem to care as she happily bounced to join him near the entrance. Neither did she mind the others' presence, completely ignoring them and questioning Suigetsu instead "How come are you back so early? I thought you had to take care of bandits around the village!"

The white haired young man sighed "Well, as you can see…" he stepped aside for the girl to have a better view of the four travelers behind him "…I ran into a few old acquaintances in the forest."

"Who are these people Hozuki-san?" It was the lady in the rocking chair who had spoken in a demanding tone. Without standing up, she had put down her book to observe the group of strangers inside her house with a severe gaze.

The swordsmen sighed again "I told you about my past adventures didn't I, Tamamo?" Although he was obviously addressing the woman, Suigetsu kept giving tired glances to the petite girl rooted in front of him and blocking the way. He whispered a curt "Move please Akiko" and after she stepped aside, went to the sink in the kitchen linked to the living room, filled an empty glass with water and immediately drank the integrality of its content. Eventually he settled his gaze on the woman called Tamamo "Well, here I introduce you Uchiha Sasuke."

This name always inspired fear or hatred to those who heard it, it had been so ever since the beginning of the Fourth Great Ninja War in the most hostile regions of the world. So Sasuke who had grown used to this treatment was more than surprised when the woman merely cast him a bored glance and then returned her gaze to Suigetsu.

"What about the others?" She inquired, eyeing the three persons standing behind the Uchiha.

Suigetsu, visibly bored as well, mumbled something under his breath and gave a vague sign to the group at the door, indicating that they needed to speak for themselves.

The oldest man started before Sakura could introduce them all "I'm Tazuna, a bridge builder from the Wave country." He raised his left arm to point at Inari beside him "Me and my grand-son are traveling to Kiri and Sasuke and Sakura are escorting us."

Suigetsu chuckled, turning to his former companion "Ha! I thought you didn't take jobs like that anymore…" Evidently, he received no response from the raven haired shinobi.

"So," Tamamo rapidly got back to business "Why did you bring them here?"

"You know perfectly well why" Suigetsu replied with a sly smile "You're the only one with enough space to host people in this village."

The middle aged woman muttered a low "thought so" under her breath, seemingly contemplating her options for a moment.

"We won't bother you," Sakura interrupted her train of thoughts "we'll be gone by tomorrow morning."

"Hey miss medic," the white haired swordsman called her from his spot leaning on the kitchen counter "don't forget the deal, you've gotta heal my wound."

Sakura's eyes widened at the realization and she mumbled a small apology, immediately looking over at the chocolate haired woman in the rocking chair. Tamamo lifted her gaze as it went from the young kunoichi to the shark teethed swordsman. Finally she sighed "Alright, stay as long as it takes."

The group of travelers was taken aback by this announcement but didn't have time to do so much as thank their host before she spoke again "Hozuki-san, lead these men to the leftover room upstairs. Akiko, you'll share with this young lady."

Suigetsu sighed in annoyance and the little girl jumped in glee. As she hastily took Sakura's hand to drag her upstairs, the kunoichi concluded that she was the type of person to always be enthusiastic no matter the situation. More slowly, the group of boys followed the two smiling girls, not without politely saying their thanks to Tamamo.

Once upstairs, Sasuke had just the time to see Sakura disappear behind a wooden door on the left of the central corridor. He mindlessly took note that despite its very traditional exterior and the wooden walls and floor of the house, the interior's arrangement was much like that of Konoha's upper class houses: a mix between old and modern decoration and architecture. This statement was proven true when after following Suigetsu to the right through the hallway, the group found a room furnished with two low wooden beds and old mattresses on one side; a large closet and a few book shelves suspended on the wall on the other.

Suigetsu let the guests inside the room and sighed, leaning on the door frame "You'll probably find a spare futon or something in the closet, just help yourselves. Sleep tight!" A simple wave was his farewell.

The next day after Sasuke had woken up to the sound of Inari's loud snoring, the group of travelers had experienced the weirdest breakfast ever thanks to Suigetsu's more than strange dialogue with Tamamo. Their conversation had been nothing extraordinary as regards its outer content. However, when one knew how to understand the hidden meaning behind words, they would realize how much of an 'entente cordiale' their relationship really was. A bitter comment there, a futile and unspoken threat here, another spike followed by a smart comeback…What made it truly amazing was the fact that it actually took spectators some time to figure out these concealed meanings.

When Suigetsu had innocently asked "Where's my juice?" Tamamo had replied "I only make tea in the morning" which after analysis of her seemingly blank tone and sharp look actually meant: "You should know by now, you're in _my_ house, so adapt yourself, cordially." With a smirk Suigetsu had retorted "That's too bad…" Coupled with the twirling of his finger around the border of his empty glass and the slyness in his violet orbs, this meant "I don't care about your rules but I'm too smart to let you enjoy your victory by complaining like an idiot."

None of the guests had an idea how these two had managed to co-exist in these conditions for two months, which was the time Suigetsu had been living here. But thankfully after this gathering Tamamo had had to attend her own business in the luxurious cabinetwork next door. The travelers had noticed the precise carving work on the wooden terrace rails upon arriving and this turned out to be the hamlet's principal source of income: They sent workers to other villages for private orders and made unique furniture for a high class clientele. With Tamamo gone, her daughter Akiko was left to play the piano in the living room as Tazuna and Inari -seated on a large wooden bench with fluffy cushions- discussed about their plans once they arrived in Kiri. As for the three shinobis, Suigetsu had led them to his room upstairs for Sakura to examine his wound. Sasuke had insisted on staying with them, simply saying that he had nothing better to do. So the raven haired young man leaned against the wall on the bed's left as his teammate and Suigetsu sat on it.

"This isn't gonna be pretty" the swordsman warned Sakura with a lopsided smirk.

The medic-nin responded with a bored look, silently implying that she had seen a lot of terrible wounds in her life. So without further ado, Suigetsu tiredly removed his shirt to reveal his bare torso. At first neutrally observing the battle scars on his pale skinned chest, Sakura's eyes soon grew wide at the sight of a large mark around a deep, barely cicatrized laceration on his side. More than a mark, it was actually some sort of stain, dark reddish and widely spreading over his abs, stomach and hip as well as part of his gashed right arm. The resemblance with a partial transformation using Orochimaru's cursed seal immediately came to Sasuke's mind as his own coal eyes widened for a split second before narrowing warily. Upon closer inspection, Sakura noticed that not only had the skin darkened considerably, but it also seemed as though it was slowly peeling off with fragments of old rotten skin scattered all around the swordsman's belly.

Sakura rapidly recovered and asked, impassive "Did you scratch yourself?"

"No, even though it does look like I did, huh…" Suigetsu replied.

Bringing a finger to her lips, Sakura seemed deep in thoughts for a short moment "Do you have any peculiar symptoms?"

"Symptoms?"

"Yes, problems that you didn't have before getting injured."

"I know what symptoms are" Suigetsu sighed in a bored tone though he continued in a lighter, more intrigued one "But now that you mention it, besides the excruciating pain whenever I strain myself too much, there's also this annoying numbness in my muscles…"

' _I knew something had been off'_ Sasuke thought of his short fight against his former companion. Suigetsu's movements had been rather stiff and slower than usual then, making it difficult for him to block the Uchiha's taijustu combos.

Sakura was still concentrating deeply "Hmm…Alright, is that all?"

"Well, yeah I think so…" He scratched his chin hesitantly "I find myself breathless more often and quicker than I used to but I'm not sure if this has something to do with it."

"Actually, I might have an idea of what is wrong now" Sakura smiled before turning to her teammate "Sasuke-kun, can you tell me if there's anything odd with his chakra?"

He grunted. A closer inspection with the sharingan was unnecessary "I already checked when I fought him yesterday. There's nothing wrong with it."

Sakura stood up from the bed and walked in front of her patient, her arms folded over her chest and a serious look on her face as she spoke "I think you've been poisoned by the 'Scarlet Flame'." Suigetsu's interested gaze urged her to carry on "It's a very rare kind of poison which plagues the victim with inner and outer infections –such as the reddish marks on your skin- and also reduces the victim's blood flow, mostly for the blood capillaries in your muscles." Tsunade had once given her pupil a test where she had had to name different kinds of poison from the symptoms described. Even though it had only been practice, the Fifth Hokage had made Sakura run twenty-five laps around Konoha for not knowing the answer to the description of _this_ precise poison. Running hadn't been half bad, the most terrible thing about this punishment had been her encounter with Lee… She had sworn to become an encyclopedia concerning poisons afterwards.

The pink haired medic continued her explanation "Therefore, with less blood supplying your muscles, you don't have enough oxygen for long lasting efforts. The worse about the Scarlet Flame is that it strikes violently after one minute and keeps damaging the body for months afterwards until it is cured."

"Tell me about it…" Suigetsu grumbled "So, can you do something?"

Silent for a second, Sakura got a small yet thick strip of rolled up leather out of her item pouch at the back of her belt which contained her medical ingredients. She opened it out and quickly scanned through its content: labeled glass phials filled with crystalline liquids, leaves, flowers and powders. "Alright," she declared, putting the item back inside her pouch and nodding at Suigetsu "This is a humid country so there will be no problem finding the missing plants."

She walked to the door to take her leave but Suigetsu interrupted her with an awed whistle

"Wow, I'm impressed" he praised, a smirk visible on his face. "The doctor here didn't have any clue what to do but it seemed like a child's play to you."

With a hand on the door handle, Sakura smiled kindly as she was used to "That's what I'm here for." With that, she left the room like a gust of wind.

Sasuke caught himself staring after her at the door, which didn't go unnoticed by Suigetsu who was putting his shirt back on. He chuckled "Hey, don't start worrying. Akiko will probably force Sakura to let her come."

The Uchiha jumped out of his reverie to glare fiercely at his former comrade. Since when had he been so acute? Sasuke was about to leave as well but the ever chatty Suigetsu didn't seem to have it this way. Swiftly standing up despite his aching body, the swordsman walked lazily towards the door to lean on its wooden surface, now facing the uptight Sasuke who had gotten off the wall. The raven haired young man let out a quiet, barely perceptible sigh before turning to look out the window at the forest of bare trees surrounding the village.

Suigetsu smirked as he fished out a new can of juice from his belt "I didn't think I'd meet you again with a girl, you know. But it seems you learned to choose them better, unlike Karin, this medic isn't a brainless fangirl… and she's rather pretty at that…"

Sasuke remained silent and seemingly calm on the other side of the room, though for some reasons he clenched his jaw a bit more at these words. Another chuckle escaped Suigetsu's lips after he took a sip of his beverage "Seriously, it's hard to imagine you with a woman… The dark, cold Uchiha Sasuke with a sweet raspberry pink haired girl like that, really, I wouldn't have guessed…"

"You're saying nonsense" Sasuke cut in the sharp teethed shinobi's uncalled-for reflections in a somber, curt tone, not enjoying in the slightest the liberty taken by Suigetsu to talk about his private life. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?" He inquired in the same ominous voice, walking to the center of the room in a slow, yet abrupt pace.

"Well no" Suigetsu nibbled at the orange straw of his juice can, baring his sharp teeth a little. The swordsman placed an arm on his uninjured hip and breathed out a pleased "aah" after he drank some more then smirked again "As much as I hate to talk about her, I met Karin a few weeks ago."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as Suigetsu directed his towards the window. After the Fourth Great Ninja War, members of team Taka had parted ways without leaving a trace. Before his encounter with Suigetsu the previous day, Sasuke had had no idea of his whereabouts for years. And while it was easy to guess that the swordsman would choose to continue his quest to find the seven legendary blades of Kiri, Karin and Jugo's current occupations were still unknown to Taka's former leader, although he already had a few theories.

"In case you're wondering, I think she's doing fine since she tried to hit me twice" the violet eyed man enlightened.

Sasuke didn't want to repeat himself, if this was all Suigetsu had to say, then it was no use staying here. The latter particularly enjoyed toying with the raven haired shinobi's patience, but knowing that he too had other things to do, he finally decided to cut to the chase and spoke after a short sigh "She's gone back to Orochimaru."

This caught Sasuke's attention. No one had heard of the snake sannin ever since the end of the war and any information concerning the S-rank criminal was good to take. Suigetsu's lopsided smirk widened, knowing that the Uchiha was now hanging at his every word "That's too bad though, he still has enough human guinea pigs for his experiments so he didn't have to use Karin."

"What did she tell you about him?" Sasuke asked sternly.

Suigetsu loved this little game too much, so he let the heavy silence engulf them for a moment, overwhelming in the dark room lit by the sole pale light from the window. The dark eyed young man was stone-faced as always, but a strong tension was building up inside him, coursing through his veins. There was no fear in his eyes, not even pure hatred like Suigetsu had expected, only the deep shade of his obsidian orbs reflecting the sense of duty within his soul. Orochimaru, not only a maniac egocentric criminal who used countless human lives for foolish and self-centered purposes, but a man whose selfish ambitions were a massive threat to the world. Moreover, a threat to the Uchiha whose eyes he sought desperately. Two years of traveling had been of no use to find Sasuke's former master, but the survivor of the Uchiha knew, he was still alive somewhere, waiting like a Damocles sword and ready to strike. Sasuke had to find and annihilate him once and for all, both for this world and his clan's future.

Suigetsu sighed again, more tiredly this time "You know how Karin is, babbling, fussing about useless stuff, insulting me…" He grumbled hushed curses under his breath before continuing "But she did tell me something about Orochimaru's plans."

Without realizing it, Sasuke had tensed to the point where he didn't hear his breath anymore. His dark frowning gaze was fixed on Suigetsu, demanding details.

"She said that she had stayed with him in order to find you since the sharingan is still his goal. I also learned that Kabuto isn't with him anymore, which is nice considering how strong that guy is now. But as you surely know, he wasn't Orochimaru's only spy, and even with the raid for criminals after the war, he still has many shinobis at his order around the world."

Sasuke quickly processed the information and inquired seriously "Are you saying that he's looking for me as we speak?"

"No, I don't think so. Or at least Karin didn't imply that." Suigetsu had stopped drinking and was now staring directly into the Uchiha's somber eyes. "No, she told me that he was searching for a way to defeat the sharingan, more or less."

Sasuke almost scoffed at that. For years the snake sannin had tried to figure out the sharingan's weakness and never did he find the right means to overcome the Uchiha's doujutsu. Despite knowing that Orochimaru's power was not to be taken lightly, Sasuke found it amusing that his former master would still try to obtain the powerful pupils through endless research when this approach had always been fruitless in the past. Furthermore, most people knew of Naruto and Sasuke as the two strongest ninjas in the world, even when those who had actually heard of Sasuke's rinnegan remained few.

The raven haired shinobi didn't have to voice these thoughts since Suigetsu knew from experience that the arrogant Uchiha would most likely eagerly await the duel with his master rather than cower back to Konoha in fear. "You shouldn't underestimate him, you know." The swordsman sighed as he got off the door and walked to his bed to lie down on it with his arms crossed behind his head "Orochimaru was half dead when you defeated him last time."

"I know…" Sasuke replied as he slowly strode towards the door and seized the handle. He turned to look at his former comrade behind his shoulder so that the amethyst eyed young man could catch a brief flash of red behind Sasuke's raven bangs. The black tomoe in his sharingan spun to life as he said "…but Orochimaru should know better than to come forward to these eyes."

The door was half open and Sasuke about to leave when Suigetsu called him "Sasuke." The Uchiha didn't turn around and only the long sound of the door creaking open could be heard in this short moment. Even without seeing him, Sasuke could feel that his old companion's eyes on his back were no longer joking, now serious under frowning eyebrows. Suigetsu's lips formed a tight line as he spoke "He won't try the same approach this time, so watch your back."

Silence once more for a minute, with Sasuke still unmoving at the doorstep and his gaze downcast, hidden by his bangs. "Hn" he let out in a low voice, slowly retiring to the solace of his room to think things through.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Yosh! This chapter was fun to write! I love writing Suigetsu anyway. ;)_

 _Just to make it clear: I wasn't bashing Karin in this chapter, it's simply that her and Suigetsu get along as well as cats and dogs. I believe their relations evolved somewhere between 699 and Gaiden, but we'll see about that later._ _I actually like Karin!_

 _I want to thank everyone who reviewed the previous chapter ( Z among them; your review made my day!). I see that many of you enjoy the jealous side of Sasuke... To those who liked or would like to say something about this chapter, then please leave a review as well. Your comments make it easier for me to improve, remember! :)_

 _Also, AgxT (I remember you :D), I invented Suigetsu's poison but I did do some research about blood capillaries in muscles and all (I learnt about sphincters in biology this year). Therefore I hope that I got it right even though I am not an expert!^^ _

_Update: thank you AgxT for the name you found for the poison! "Scarlet Flame" sure sounds kick-a**!_

 _Stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	13. Part 3 - Chapter 13

_**FLY AWAY- Part 3 : The Hint**_

 _ **Chapter 13**_

… _Lots of Love,_

 _Sakura_

The pink haired medic signed her letter with a drawing of a cherry blossom flower at the bottom of the page and neatly rolled the paper so as to put it inside a tiny container given to her by Sasuke. On the boat to the main island of the Water country the previous day, he had informed her out of the blue that the condition Kizashi and Mebuki had given for Sakura to travel with him was that she had to send them a letter on a regular basis. So after coming back from her walk to find the medicinal herbs needed for Suigetsu's cure and making the said ointment -which couldn't be applied before a few hours- she had decided to use her free time to write to her parents. It had been more than two weeks since they had left Konoha therefore knowing her parents, Sakura thought it wiser to reassure them now before they sent a rescue squad -with Naruto as its lead naturally- after her and Sasuke.

Now she just had to find the Uchiha in order to send her letter. Sakura had no clue how he would do it but he hadn't given more than a shrug upon her questioning. It seemed weird though, that his coal black orbs had been downcast when she had briefly talked to him after her outing. Sakura had learnt over the years that when it came to the stone faced and ever so collected Uchiha Sasuke, the smallest of details would speak louder than any of his –few- words. So knowing him as a proud, cool-headed shinobi, his averted gaze when she spoke to him was the only proof needed to assure Sakura that something was currently bothering him.

The kunoichi looked for him all throughout the house when she found his room empty safe for a working Tazuna. In the living room, Akiko and Inari pointed at the door when the kunoichi asked for her teammate's location and indeed, she found a familiar dark figure seated on the wooden front steps of the traditional Asiatic building.

Knowing that Sasuke had already noticed her, Sakura wordlessly made her way to sit down beside him. In silence, she observed his eyes directed straight ahead of him and staring into space. The raven haired ninja had been thinking through Suigetsu's warning about Orochimaru for a good two hours. Hypotheses and more questions had come to his mind: Does Orochimaru covet the sharingan or Sasuke's body? In the first case, the snake sannin would simply try to kill him and retrieve his eyes on his dead body, therefore countless tactics to isolate or torture the sole survivor of the Uchiha could be used efficiently to avoid a titanic battle. But if it was Sasuke's body as a vessel that Orochimaru sought, it would make the hunt way more arduous and a direct offensive inappropriate. Then what could the missing-nin possibly try?…

Eventually as more unanswered questions overcame her teammate's mind, Sakura declared "I finished writing my letter."

"Hn." In order not to part with his thoughts for too long, Sasuke cast her a short glance and extended his left arm for her to give him the item. After she did, he bit his thumb and formed a few seals before placing his palm on the ground. The smoke of the incantation soon revealed a hawk with reddish brown feathers in the center of the summoning circle. The bird of prey gave a few flaps of its wings to land on Sasuke's forearm. No sooner had the shinobi attached the tiny scroll onto the hawk's leg that it already flew away, gracefully disappearing behind the eternal fog of the water country.

Sasuke became quiet again after that, but Sakura was still sitting beside him without any intention to leave. Maybe he hadn't realized it yet, but seeing him so unsettled truly worried her. But in order to help him, she needed to know what was on his mind. Of course the young medic had a plan and this was her first step: wait and see if he says anything.

Obviously it failed with Sasuke being a man of _very_ few words. Sakura had expected it though, and was now moving onto step two: ask him straight off.

She leaned on the wooden surface of the stairs a little to turn to him as she inquired "Is there something wrong, Sasuke-kun?"

"No." Blunt denial, again no surprise for the kunoichi, but this was merely a part of her plan. Step three: divert his attention with idle conversation.

"I had forgotten that you could summon hawks too" she said softly after a moment. Since he found nothing to answer, Sakura placed a finger on her lips in thoughts and carried on "It's very practical in situations like these, but I was just wondering: will this bird return or simply disappear once in Konoha?"

Sasuke sighed quietly, slowly shifting to prop his elbows on his bent knees and rest his chin on his clasped hands "It's just like any summon, either it will disappear if it's not needed anymore, or it could return if Konoha sends us anything."

"Really?" Sakura opened wide eyes. So it was possible for Sasuke's hawk to fly to Konoha and back? Thinking of it, it wasn't so surprising that the animal would be able to find its summoner's chakra anywhere but then… "Why did you never do that before?"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow and asked emotionlessly "Do what?"

"Send us letters" Sakura's voice sounded smaller when she enlightened her point, clearly tainted with incomprehension as she stared deeply into his eyes. All the times she had spent worrying about him while he was gone, all the sleepless nights and excessively bitten nails because of her anxiety whenever she heard word of missing-nins assembling to attack travelers or such… It had lasted more than a year, and it could have been avoided with simple words on paper.

Sasuke was at a loss for words in front of Sakura's barely concealed disappointment. He had once more failed his promise of sparing her pain. Cursing mentally, he replied in a low mumble "You didn't ask. Besides, it's not really my kind of thing." Being the proud Uchiha that he was, Sasuke couldl not afford to lose face, no matter how much he hated it.

"Hmm, I guess so…" Sakura lowered her eyes and nodded slowly in understanding, without the smallest hint of sadness in her tone. It only made Sasuke feel worse. No matter what he said or did, she always managed to forgive him. The pink haired medic quickly lifted up her head, a grin playing on her lips this time "But now that I asked, maybe next time you could write something to Naruto!"

The young man's eyes widened a bit, his voice incredulous "Why would I write to the dobe?"

Sakura's response was a couple of light giggles before she settled her kind green orbs on him again. Sasuke's eyebrows were knitted in thought as he looked away, though he could see her happily swinging her legs over the front steps from the corner of his eye. It was always hard to have a light-hearted conversation with Sasuke, but times like these made it worth all the trouble to Sakura, even though now she needed to get serious. Step four: attack again!

"Hey, Sasuke-kun…you really seem bothered by something and…"

"Look, Sakura…" The Uchiha didn't let her finish her sentence. He sighed since he already knew what she was going to ask. As surely as Naruto's nindo was to never fail his word, Sakura's was without doubt to always place others' and especially Sasuke's sake before her own. He had seen how amazed she had been when they had arrived in this village, her viridian eyes sparkling like a child's before a jar of cookies. It had relieved him at once that this trip wasn't a total failure and that she did manage to find happiness in her new discoveries. But then, how was he supposed to break the news about Orochimarut?

Sakura didn't have to know about this, it was his problem after all to deal with the Uchiha clan's enemy. Sasuke wielded the sharingan, not Sakura. Therefore it was clear that he should not worry her with this issue. But it was a terrible mistake to underestimate his former master, Sasuke knew. And since Sakura was his companion on this journey, maybe it would be wiser to let her know so that she would be alert and not entirely taken aback in case of emergencies… Orochimaru could easily launch a surprise attack… How low were the chances of that happening? No, how **high** were these chances?

Frowning deeply, Sasuke made sure not to break his emotionless façade despite the fierce debate taking place in his mind. The girl beside him remained patient, leaning back on the large steps as she waited for an answer. She began gazing at the few clouds trotting in the sky bathed in pale sunlight. Despite the slight fog in the area and thankfully for Sakura who had not brought her cloak outside and wore a sleeveless dress, the breeze was calm and rather warm. The birds shyly tweeting, hidden among the still bare trees were confirming spring's steady approach.

"I…" Sasuke began, mentally cursing as Sakura immediately whipped her head to look intently at him when he actually didn't have any response to give her yet.

"Yes?" She encouraged, trying to make it easier for him. Inner Sakura -unlike the outer one- was rapidly getting annoyed by this situation _'Shannaro! Why doesn't he spit it out already?'_ Outer Sakura more or less politely told her inner self to shut up since whatever bothered Sasuke so much was most likely a serious matter.

The raven haired shinobi was still taking in pros and cons. His usually rational, battle-experienced mind was failing him as he now strived with a mass of scattered and disorganized hypotheses to find out which side of the scale would weigh the most. _'I shouldn't tell her… No…Then Sakura will want to go back to Konoha, or worse! She'll stay with me and get attacked! If I tell her, she'll be prepared…But she will definitely be worried, I don't want to ruin everything for her… Still, if we do get attacked… But I don't have enough info yet…No, it doesn't matter, I should tell her, I need to protect her so I must tell her.'_ When he finally came to this conclusion, Sasuke let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and gazed at his still attentive teammate before he parted his lips to speak, impassive as always "I talked to Sui…"

"Sakura-chan!"

Just then the door behind them burst open. The loud noise of the door and two young teens' heavy footsteps on the wooden floor covered Sasuke's irritated hushed curse. He should have been faster to make his decision instead of debating like a confused idiot!

As the Uchiha scolded himself internally, Sakura quickly turned around to face Inari who had called her name. He was closely followed by the ever grinning Akiko. The contrast between the two teens' postures brought an amused smile to Sakura's lips. While Akiko was totally natural, swinging from one foot to the other childishly, Inari looked uptight, serious, and his gait was resolute. He walked down the steps to stand right in front of the young medic like a soldier in line and Sakura had to repress a giggle when she saw the look in his eyes which betrayed his true nervousness.

"What is it Inari?"

"Well err…" the boy mumbled, trying to keep his composure but failing miserably with his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment. He briefly eyed the raven haired ninja seated beside Sakura with spiteful eyes. Inari still hadn't forgotten the previous day's affront and Sasuke's presence made it all the more difficult for the boy to expose his wish to Sakura. However, it was with pride and an unwavering determination that Inari eventually asked "Sakura-chan, can you teach me how to fight?"

The kunoichi blinked to open round surprised eyes at this sudden request while Sasuke was also brought out of his mess of thoughts. _'Since when has he been interested in that kind of thing?'_ Both wondered. Sakura subconsciously tilted her head in confusion so Inari decided to explain himself.

"I learned long ago that I should be able to fight to protect what's dear to me, and Naruto gave me the will to never give up. So even though I'm not experienced or anything, I still want to improve and learn how to fight well enough in order to protect my precious people!" Inari took a deep breath as if he had been out of air after this fervent yet short tirade. He continued in a calmer tone "That's why I came to you Sakura-chan. I know you're really strong."

A rosy tint came to Sakura's cheeks. Out of the three famed ninjas present in this village Inari had chosen to ask her and had complimented her at that. Truly she was flattered, but was this request reasonable when she would have to part ways with the boy in a few days and when Sasuke still hadn't told her what was on his mind? The pink haired young woman cast a quick look at her companion. She could read neither anger nor the slightest annoyance on Sasuke's face -a very Uchiha like poker face adorned his features instead. He briefly caught Sakura's gaze and the medic instantly understood his lack of interest in the matter.

' _Good, now that I have my bodyguard's approval…'_ Sakura thought, a finger on her lips once more before she turned to Inari "I won't be able to teach you much in two or three days, and I'm not the gentle kind of professor. Are you still up to it?"

Without thinking, Inari immediately nodded…At his own risk…

Sakura stood up and walked past Inari with determined green orbs. She halted a few meters away from Tamamo's house near the tree in the center of the road where there was enough space to train. With a smirk, she gestured for the grinning boy to join her and not too surprisingly, Akiko happily followed as well.

Sasuke remained seated on the steps, quiet and composed as he studied the trio with mild interest. _'They're smiling now but then…'_ he thought, rather amused at the prospect of the annoying brat laying flat on the ground after an exhausting training session with Sakura.

The pink haired young woman looked over her brand new students domineeringly like her own master used to do. Folding her arms over her chest, she inquired "Do you know how to throw a punch?"

A confused Inari replied "Well, yeah."

"Show me."

Sasuke watched Sakura correct the two children as they threw messy punches in the air. The kunoichi took her time explaining each aspect of the 'perfect punch' and showed it to her students several times.

"See?" Sakura asked Inari and Akiko "This way your arm is just like a piston. It makes the punch fast and powerful unlike what you did before."

Sasuke could see the looks of pure admiration on the two teens' faces. They seemed quite stunned as their teacher expertly chained rapid punches on the oak tree's trunk to demonstrate her words and broke entire bark fragments from it. _'If only they knew…'_ Sasuke smirked from afar. The extent of Sakura's strength went far beyond this _'Heck, she can break rocks with those fists.'_ It was quite funny watching her though, laughing and encouraging her students to retry every time. _''She would probably be a great instructor if she had a team back in Konoha'_ the young Uchiha mused.

"Now you need to practice." Sakura declared "I assume that you got it, so you two will work together."

What the medic didn't know was that more than one pair of curious eyes where observing the training session at that moment. Behind windows or next to a house where they had been playing, children watched her with great interest as she positioned Inari and Akiko in front of each other and gave them instructions. Inari was to attack the girl who had to block the punches with her palm while Sakura corrected them and gave them advice in a bossy tone reminiscent of the Fifth Hokage's. No one had yet picked up the sound of small footsteps approaching the fighters.

"Can we play too?" A little boy, probably no more than eight years old, had spoken from beside the tree. Next to him stood two other boys his age and a younger girl with pigtails.

Akiko placed her hands on her hips "This is not a game, guys! We're training!"

The boy insisted nonetheless "Okay but can we train too? It looks so cool!"

"Yeah! Suigetsu-san always tells us off when we ask him!" Another child added.

"Tell me about it…" Akiko sighed, reminded of her own experience with the grumpy shinobi.

Sakura pondered the question with a finger on her lips for a moment before perking up with supposedly serious eyes and a small smirk "Are you sure, guys?"

An enthusiastic cry of affirmation was their answer and soon the four kids were in line next to Inari and Akiko. Sasuke noticed that Sakura seemed to be having great fun with her new role as a teacher. However, even if the pink haired medic had been doing just fine with a small group, the incoming mass of children stepping out of their house and into the newly proclaimed 'training grounds' soon turned out to be a problem. Sakura couldn't refuse them now that she had accepted the first group! A bit more than fifteen kids aged from about five to twelve years old (without counting Inari and Akiko) were now practicing punching and blocking and the kunoichi had much trouble coordinating the group. A missed block here, another there, a kid falling because of a miscalculated punch… Commenting on all her pupils' work as well as healing and reassuring them whenever they got slightly injured was rapidly becoming impossible.

"Miss ninja! Touma is hurt!" A little boy shouted pointing at his comrade crying on the ground.

Sakura hurriedly jogged towards the child and told him for the umpteenth time that it was just a scratch, but another kid started crying beside her the next second. How could she keep up like this? The kunoichi desperately searched for an idea as she healed the child's bruise. Then when she briefly looked towards Tamamo's house, she finally found one.

"Everyone stop!" Sakura shouted over the excited clamor produced by her students. "Inari, can you keep an eye on them for a minute?" She asked the boy who nodded instantly. The pink haired young woman turned back to the group "You all stay put!" A few kids gulped since her tone wasn't to be taken lightly. Silence took over for a minute as Sakura walked towards the front steps of Tamamo's house where a certain Uchiha was still seated.

Seeing her come closer, Sasuke adopted a defensive posture though his voice remained blank "Don't even think about it, Sakura."

' _Of course he knew that I was going to ask him'_ the kunoichi thought, putting her hands on her hips "Oh come on! I can't handle so many children at once. You've got to help me!"

He kept staring at her with eyes void of emotion, rooted on his spot. Sakura had to bring out the A-game. She used her hands on her knees to support her upper body as she bended down closer to him and pouted cutely "Please, Sasuke-kun…"

Unfazed despite the proximity of their faces, the young man kept silent. Sakura knew that if he refused to help she would have to dismiss her class to the great dismay of whining children. Therefore the medic was forced to be more persuasive "Maybe if you come and help out you won't have to think about what's bothering you anymore."

"I can always watch" Sasuke replied blankly.

This comment made Sakura's temper rise quite a bit "Get up now! Sometimes you're even lazier than Naruto!" She scolded, standing straight again.

"Hn."

Now that was it. He almost sounded amused. Snarling angrily, Sakura feigned marching away then quickly turned again and made a grab for his wrist, forcefully pulling the taken aback Uchiha up using chakra enhanced strength. It was a rather funny sight for the group of children near the tree: Sakura was walking backwards and dragging her teammate meter by meter towards them while the raven haired shinobi resisted as best as he could.

"Sakura stop!" Sasuke ordered icily, now fully annoyed.

"No!" She yelled back, pulling with all her might on his aching right forearm.

"Stop!" His voice was callous and cold but Sakura still wouldn't let go.

"Dammit Sasuke-kun! They won't eat you!"

His tone dropped to a dreadful one "Sakura…"

"Listen, I don't care if you don't want to tell me what's wrong but I won't let you just sit there and sulk!"

Obviously she _did_ care as she was yet again trying to help him. Sasuke wouldn't have expected any less from Sakura but this didn't make the idea of teaching taijutsu to very young, noisy children any more appealing. He was about to tell her that but, having covered half the distance towards the tree while striving, the two shinobis' small journey suddenly came to an abrupt end as a little stone on their way made Sakura trip. Without doubt she would have fallen had Sasuke not had the reflex to yank on her arm to prevent it. But this was also a fatal mistake on his part. The force from his pull brought the pink haired girl crashing against his torso. Sasuke had to take a step back to recover his balance and then looked down at the short kunoichi, feeling the heat coming to his face in less than a second. Sakura's chest was entirely pressed against him –most likely the very reason of the dark blush now dusting his cheeks- and he could feel her silky hair tickling his jaw as her head laid nuzzled in the crook of his neck, her mouth gasping and breathing warmly against it.

It lasted only a second before Sasuke –not so gently- pushed her away, but Sakura clearly heard it: his pulse was beating wildly in his throat and judging by the blush he was trying his hardest to suppress on his usually pale skin, it was easy to conclude that their closeness made the young man uncomfortable.

Dismissing a both confused and fangirling Inner Sakura, the young medic formed a new plan in her mind -which was probably one of the most embarrassing things she had ever had to do. Maybe if Sasuke had agreed to help her straight away, she would have shown more mercy and not exploited this newly discovered weakness. But now there was no pity.

As he was still too flustered to do anything but stare at her with slightly wide eyes, Sakura seized the opportunity and put on her most enticing look. Intrigued, Sasuke couldn't move as she used her hands on his shoulders to prop herself up and bring her head close to his ear. There she batted her long eyelashes to tickle his skin. Then he felt her soft breath as she brought her lips up instead and whispered in the most alluring tone he had ever heard from her "Please Sasuke-kun, I need your help…"

Before he could either calm his unnaturally fast heartbeat or even react and ask what was wrong with her in pure outrage, Sakura quickly pulled away, her seductive expression replaced in a flash by the cute pout from earlier and her eyes glinting with a thousand sparks like a puppy's. Dark pink cheeked but poker-faced, Sasuke had the urge to gulp. In all the years he had known Sakura, never had he even _suspected_ that she possessed such a manipulative side, while it took her barely a second to find out a weakness he didn't even know he had. There was no escaping this outcome now: he had lost.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:** I think t_ _his chapter has a very light-hearted atmosphere even with Sasuke's thoughts about Orochimaru… Even though I try to add more than that, this story is still a romance after all!_

 _About the 'training' part when Sakura asks if Inari knows how to throw a punch: Well, as a blue belt in karate, I can assure you that there are many different ways of doing so. That was just to clarify. Also, I remember reading that Kishi thought of Sakura as the best fit in Team 7 to become an instructor.^^_

 _Big thanks to my reviewers and especially Uchiha Misaki for her frequent reviews! I'm sorry I didn't thank you earlier since you've been supporting me since the very beginning._

 _Please feel free to leave comments and thoughts in a review, you have no idea how much it counts to me!_

 _Until the next chapter! :)_


	14. Part 3 - Chapter 14

_**FLY AWAY- Part 3 : The Hint**_

 _ **Chapter 14**_

It was cold again even when March was coming to an end and bringing spring in its wake. It seemed like the weather on the roads never changed to Sakura. Sasuke noticed once more that her new outfit provided little protection from the chilly air even when the wind wasn't strong enough to make shivers run down her spine. They had departed the hamlet in the woods earlier that morning, two days after Sasuke's first –arduous- attempt at the teaching profession. Thanks to Sakura's help, it hadn't been half bad to assist and correct inexperienced children while they learnt the basic workings of taijutsu. What had irritated the young Uchiha the most had been Suigetsu's constant mockery the following days. Not to mention that he had had trouble recovering from Sakura's seductive act. Averting his gaze whenever she looked at him had become his defensive mechanism before he even knew it. Sasuke wasn't mad at her, simply…disconcerted.

A lot of things besides that were also bothering him. Even if Sakura had more or less managed to make Sasuke forget about Orochimaru's threat for the past few days, Suigetsu's last warning when they had left Tamamo's house remained vivid in his mind. The swordsman's almost joking tone and contrastingly sinister words kept echoing inside Sasuke's head like a mantra, or more of a curse: _"You should be careful, you know…"_ he had taken a sip of his juice then, smirking toothily. " _You never know what to expect from that snake. A quick bite or a slow strangulation?"_ He had emphasized this last word by crushing his can of juice in his hand a little before taking _a_ nother sip, as if it were a light-hearted conversation. " _…Stay sharp…especially for her"_ the casual glance he cast Sakura then had made Sasuke's blood boil, not because he was angry at his former companion's light tone, but because of what his words implied. This time when the raven haired shinobi had looked over at Sakura he had held her gaze sternly, and as he had turned back to Suigetsu, Sasuke had declared in his ominous low tone _"If he tries to lay a hand on her, I will make him suffers the consequences."_

He had simply turned his back to Suigetsu's chuckles which had followed this statement. It was simple: Sasuke would **not** allow Orochimaru to ever harm Sakura. He would protect her, because he would not let anyone dear to him die before his eyes ever again.

"Sasuke-kun" she called from his side. Leaving his thoughts for a moment, the Uchiha turned his attention to the pink haired medic smiling up at him. "We're almost there!"

"Hn." Indeed, when Sasuke looked up he was able to distinguish high mounts but couldn't tell apart natural rocks and high stone buildings in the heavy mist surrounding their path. The fog and grayish atmosphere also explained the cold from earlier and it was thanks to the lack of wind that the mist could remain stuck so close to the earth, but even with so many forerunners Sasuke had failed to notice their approach towards the Hidden Village. He chastised himself for letting his guard down.

Sakura also knew that he hadn't been fully alert after they had departed this morning, which was why she decided try and 'save him' from his thoughts by conversing a little more "Say, have you been to Kirigakure a lot on your travels before?"

"Yeah."

Sakura smiled uneasily. Sasuke's one word reply reminded her way too much of the days when he always ignored her, but she nevertheless carried on in an excited tone "Then you'll be able to show me all the cool places, right?"

"Maybe."

Twice a curt one word answer; Sakura knew she was powerless this time. The kunoichi dropped her head in defeat, sighing "Maybe, huh? …"

"Don't worry Sakura-chan!" Inari butted in Sakura's poor attempt at a conversation "I know this town like the back of my hand!"

' _Naruto would be so proud to learn that after all these years Inari became a perfect copy of him'_ Inner Sakura thought dejectedly. On the outside the young woman simply smiled, appreciating Inari's kind proposition but nonetheless declining. Her goal had been to cheer up Sasuke after all, not necessarily get a detailed tour of Kirigakure. "Thank you Inari, but don't you have some work to do once you and Tazuna arrive in Kiri?"

"That's right" the old man cut in "We're already one day late, we can't afford to lose time touring."

Inari whined beside the bridge builder "But, Grandpa'!"

The teen was silenced with a sharp look from his grandfather. Sakura was still concerned about Sasuke's silence but seeing as her previous attempt had ended up a miserable failure, she was quite out of ideas to lighten up his spirits. Safe for Inari's babbling and short answers from Tazuna, the rest of the trip across rocky hills and little brooks was spent in silence for the two ninjas. It was soon though, that an imposing gray stone arch with the kanji for 'mist' engraved at the top came into view through the fog. Kirigakure shinobis stood on each side of the semi-circle structure, guarding the entrance to their village.

Sakura couldn't help letting out a faint "wow" of astonishment in front of such greatness. As the only hidden villages she had ever visited in her life had been Konoha, Suna and a bit of Kumo, she had never had the chance to admire the architectural prowess of Kiri. And even when the only things she could see right then were the immense stone arch and a seemingly endless alley beyond, the sight nonetheless remained incredible to her.

As they walked through the entrance, Sakura noticed that what she had previously mistaken for a large alley was actually a great bridge over the biggest river she had ever seen. The water flowed calmly under their feet towards a lake below the first few buildings of the village which were built on high white stone dikes.

"The Rainy season is particularly harsh in this region" Tazuna explained seeing the medic's interest in the architecture "That is why they built the outskirts of the city on dikes to heighten them. The center is ground-level though."

"Really?" Sakura inquired "But then what if there's a flood? Won't the town be submerged?"

"There are enough Suiton users here to prevent that" Sasuke enlightened with his gaze fixed on the road. _'So he had been listening? Shannaro! I managed to get his mind off things without even trying!'_ Inner Sakura shouted in glee.

The conversation went on for a while as they finally crossed the long bridge and arrived in the streets. Unlike in Konoha where the roads were but the bare ground, Kirigakure had covered its streets with whitened cement, which gave a very neat aspect to the village. Sakura also took note that much like in Suna, the city seemed to be organized in a circular pattern with the residential districts in the outskirts where the group of travelers was currently walking and the important administrative buildings in the center. As a proof of her theory, the pink haired girl could make out high towers and elevated stone bridges further near the heart of the city in the fog.

The path they had taken zigzagged all the time because of the various reliefs. One moment they turned right since a huge rocky mound blocked the way ahead, the next they went sloping down in a small valley. Countless tiny roads, dead ends and alleys originated from the main street like secret passageways, cutting thin slits between buildings and leading to who knows where. It looked so picturesque with all the evergreen ivy leaves sneaking in the shade of these alleys and onto the walls of the houses' front façades that Sakura couldn't help loving it at first sight. The travelers came across more people bustling in the streets after passing the first few habitations. Merchants started sprouting up around every corner advertising ninja equipment, books and all sorts of things. Various tempting smells from spicy, to roast, to sour and sweet also lingered in the air thanks to the restaurants among them and quickly made Sakura's mouth water.

At one point they had to walk down some stairs to reach a large entirely white paved plaza with a fountain in the middle. Sakura engraved it all in her memory: the mirror like reflection of pale light on the crystal clear water in the pond around the fountain, as well as the beautiful contrast between the ivory white of the stone ground and the dark maroon shade of the bark on the trees that circled the round plaza. Tazuna held back a yawn and suddenly spoke in a tired tone "I think it's time we part ways."

Sakura whipped her head to face her companions at the sound of Inari's immediate cry of protest "Whaaaaat!? But I thought we could go to the same inn and…"

"I have an acquaintance to meet in the eastern part of the city while you're both going due west" Sasuke interrupted in his usual emotionless tone. Sakura blinked a few times before remembering the first reason of their travel to Kiri:

Sasuke had to tell the parents of the two medics who were replacing her in Konoha's hospital that they had arrived safe and sound.

"But still, that doesn't change anything! We…"

"Inari" Tazuna grumbled lowly to make his grandson understand that nothing he could say would change their decision.

The teenage boy looked desperately from his grandfather to Sakura since he knew that Sasuke would provide no help whatsoever. But it was to no avail, not even the pink haired girl would assist him this time. Inari lowered his head for a moment before looking up at the kunoichi with eyes that he struggled to keep from watering "But I don't wanna leave Sakura-chan just yet. Who knows when we'll see her again?!" He exclaimed at his grandfather's face.

Sakura was rather shocked by this outburst. She would never have imagined that this boy she had once known as a genin would become so attached to her so many years later. He had grown up and changed a lot over the years, but she couldn't help being reminded of that time before Team 7 left the Wave Country after Gato's defeat when both Naruto and Inari had been struggling against their tears while saying their goodbyes. The memory brought a tender smile to Sakura's lips. She made her way to Inari who was muttering complaints under his breath in a few short steps and stopped right in front of him. The boy turned to stare up at her with wide eyes when she softly placed a hand on his head to ruffle his hair. The pink haired medic looked at him with a motherly, kind gaze as she spoke "I'll send you a letter once I get back to Konoha so you can come and visit. I'm sure Naruto would also be overjoyed to see you!"

Sasuke observed as Inari slowly relaxed and shook his head to will away the surplus of water in his eyes before smiling as well. Sakura truly was made to be a medic, a couple of her words could soothe anyone, even the most troubled and traumatized of hearts… Inari sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, mumbling a small "Yeah…"

Sakura dropped her hand and grinned from ear to ear "You'll see, time flies."

"Thank you for your lessons by the way, Sakura-chan!" The teen's light mood had seemingly returned as fast as it had disappeared.

Sakura only smiled brighter before turning to the bridge builder behind them "Thank you for everything Tazuna-san, it was really nice seeing you both again."

Sasuke nodded to the old man as well to silently convey his thanks and Tazuna chuckled groggily "You know, it was fun for me too. You may think I'm driveling but I'll always remember the little girl scolding her boys when I think about you Sakura." The green eyed kunoichi blushed a little at this comment but it became worse when the old man continued while addressing Sasuke "And you take good care of her, hm. This is a man's duty after all."

"Hn" the raven haired ninja responded

Tazuna took a few steps towards the fountain near the other side of the plaza and waved with his back still turned to them "Don't forget that I'm still not too old for a job in case you need a carpenter in the future!"

Inari jogged to follow in cue. He caught up to his grandfather then turned to the two shinobis behind with a beam and a loud "See you soon!"

Sakura arched an eyebrow _'What did Tazuna mean by that?'_

Even though the pink haired young woman stared after them for as long as she could, the two citizens of the Wave country soon disappeared in the streets and fog after crossing the plaza. She met Sasuke's gaze upon turning around and inquired "So, what now?"

"We have to wait to go find the two medic's parents. Meanwhile we can look for an inn."

"And ask around about Haruko" Sakura added to which Sasuke simply nodded. Smiling, she took the direction of the east "Sounds good. Let's find a place to stay first and then we'll see."

"Hn."

As they walked back into the city, Sakura took it upon herself to not let Sasuke drown in his thoughts again and therefore started chatting like she was used to "You know, I'm getting tired of people telling you to keep an eye on me." Sasuke's usually impassive expression let slip a fragment of his surprise at that as he looked on his left to see the pink haired kunoichi crossing her arms over her chest and pouting "I can take care of myself now!"

He chuckled, low and short "I guess."

"'I guess'? What's that supposed to mean!?" Sakura raged on, placing her hands on her hips and looking up at her companion as if to scold him for his impertinence.

Sasuke gave an amused hum in response which made Sakura growl. However her eyes began glittering like diamonds once they landed on a particular shop's window. The Uchiha followed her gaze and expected to find the kind of shop which girls usually drool in front of: a jeweler, a clothes store, a florist or a pet shop. But no, Sakura Haruno was absorbed by the flashy red letters of a sign advertising deer antlers powder in an apothecary's shop window.

"Sakura?" Sasuke woke the pink haired girl from her trance.

She jumped before turning back to him with pleading eyes and clasping her hands together like in a prayer "Please Sasuke-kun, I ran short of medical ingredients after preparing the ointment for Suigetsu. Can we just…?"

"Go ahead" Sasuke cut in blankly, wondering why she felt the need to plead her cause with him in such way.

Sakura let out a small yelp of excitement and immediately bolted towards the shop. Sasuke followed slowly and entered the shop beside her as she held the door open for the both of them. Countless cupboards and small drawers were piled up so as to form gigantic shelves on every wall of the square room. Either wheeled ladders or stools were used to reach certain places. Sakura marched towards the old wooden counter sitting on the left side of the room at once while Sasuke leaned on the only bare part of the wall near the door.

The medic made quick work of telling the man at the counter the exact components she needed. The bespectacled man seemed impressed by her vast knowledge of medical ingredients considering her young age –he even asked Sakura how old she was in disbelief- but he nonetheless readied the requested items in a few minutes. Once back at the front desk and about to pay, Sakura fished out a particular object inside her back-pouch.

"Excuse me sir, did you happen to see this girl around?" Sakura showed him the photograph of Haruko. The man readjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and leaned on the counter to study the image of the beaming girl.

He frowned before placing the change in Sakura's hand and shaking his head slowly "I've never seen her, but you should try asking at the Thistle."

"The Thistle?" The pink haired young woman repeated, confused.

"It's a bar nearby. The owner knows quite a bit about people passing by the town."

Sakura pocketed her change and took her bag "Can you tell me where it is?"

After a few explanations, the petite jounin smiled in gratitude and the two shinobis were free to leave towards their new destination. Sakura had kept the picture in her hands. A look of wonder adorned her viridian eyes as she observed Haruko's beautiful, long, wavy chestnut hair that she struggled to keep from flying onto her face because of the wind. Some freckles were visible on her sun-kissed skin, enhancing the sparks of gorgeous olive green in her eyes. What was incredible though, was that this girl was beaming with a smile in her _eyes_ as her lips formed a childish lopsided grin.

Feeling a gaze on her, Sakura turned to Sasuke who was watching her with slightly raised eyebrows. "She's beautiful isn't she?" the kunoichi said with a dreamy look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked instead of replying to her statement.

Sakura wasn't mad though, and simply looked up at him "I was just wondering what could have happened to her. She seems to be a nice girl."

"Hn." The Uchiha wanted to reassure his teammate and tell her that they would find out soon enough but unfortunately, he didn't have such guarantee to offer.

Surprisingly Sakura smiled, as if she had sensed that he had wanted to help her feel better. Instead it was the other way around. She was telling him not to worry when he had been the one trying to help. But it didn't annoy him at all; her smile had this soothing power on Sasuke. So he just sighed and started walking a little faster "Let's go." Sakura giggled and nudged him after she jogged to catch up to him, complaining for the umpteenth time that he would lose her at this rate.

* * *

 _ **A.N/:**_ _I'M SORRY, I'M LATE! But maybe you'll forgive me if I tell you the next chapter is already up? :)_

 _Anyway, with this chapter Sakura and Sasuke are on their own again. I'm glad that you liked seeing Inari and Suigetsu again so I tried making their 'farewell' kinda special._

 _Also, since we never saw much of Kiri in the manga and anime, I let my imagination do the job! I think it turned out to be a more european-like city...somehow... While correcting this chapter, the descriptions of white buildings kinda reminded me of Minas-Tirith in LOTR too!^^_

 _Well, tell me what you thought about that and the rest of the chapter in a review, ok? ;)_


	15. Part 3 - Chapter 15

_**FLY AWAY- Part 3 : The Hint**_

 _ **Chapter 15**_

Having checked for the night in an inn about forty minutes after leaving the apothecary shop, the two shinobis reached the entrance of The Thistle about half an hour later. On the outside, the place looked just like any bar in Kiri: a white stone building with ivy spreading on its walls, a maroon wooden sign with a violet picture of a thistle beside the eponymous name of the bar, and a large inviting wooden door. However, it was once inside that the eighteen year old age restriction displayed on the front door under the 'open' sign took its whole meaning. The rectangular extended big room that served as the main open area of the bar was filled with numerous tables. Straight on the right side was the high bar complete with stools and varieties of alcohols perched on tall shelves behind the counter. But at the very back of the room was a rather large scene; there, a jazz-funk band played on the side while hardly dressed women danced for the great pleasure of men applauding on the front row of spectators. Needless to say most of the clientele was far from sober men laughing loudly and obnoxiously while slamming fists on tables or making chairs creak on the tiled floor with their heavy shifting.

Sakura gulped noticing that she was the sole woman in the room apart from the dancers. Those at the tables closest to the kunoichi had their hungry gazes already fixed on her, and seeing one of them licking his lips as he undressed her with his eyes, Sakura had the urge to punch him into a wall. Thankfully –or not- Sasuke's hand pushing lightly on her shoulder prevented her from doing so. They couldn't risk attracting attention, so the Uchiha led his teammate straight to the bar before she could go on rampage.

They were lucky enough to find two free seats at the end of the counter, but because of their position it was long before the bartender noticed them, and with Sakura not so discreetly grumbling colorful words under her breath every time a man would pass by a little _too close_ to her lower back, it was not easy for Sasuke to keep her in check. He contemplated using his sharingan to scare off any overly ambitious pervert but dismissed this idea since it would attract attention just as much as Sakura's sucker punches -though it didn't prevent him from glaring at the drunkards with all his might each time they walked too closely behind Sakura or watched her with filthy, lust-filled eyes.

"Grrr…" Sakura was literally fuming with her head down, teeth tensely clenched, and fists tightly balled on the marble counter. She would have punched more than one of these perverts into oblivion had it been up to her. Instead she was forced to keep her urges down and could only complain "I should have used a transformation jutsu, I swear Sasuke-kun these guys will…"

"What will it be?"

Sakura looked up and came face to face with a man in his middle twenties. His skin was almost as pale as Sasuke's which enlightened the dirty blond shade of his hair all the more. Three silver piercings decorated the arch of his eyebrow, under which small, droopy, yet curious and mischievous maroon eyes studied the pink haired girl before him. After blinking a few times, Sakura also noted his braided goatee.

"It is rare for us to have female customers, especially pretty ones like you. So I'll tell you what, this time it's on the house" the bartender smirked as he spoke in a sly tone "Tell me, what do you want, baby?"

Sakura's eye twitched at this surname. She was losing this battle, Inner Sakura would soon take over and…

"Give us two beers" Sasuke cut in her train of thoughts, coldly giving their order to the mildly surprised bartender.

"Alright, consider it done." Still smirking, the blond bartender walked back to his shelves to prepare the drinks.

Frowning in confusion, Sakura leaned over to her companion to whisper "Sasuke-kun, I don't really drink beer…"

"It was just to get him away before you pulverized him."

Sakura let out a few shaky giggles at that. Then the young woman heard a whistle behind her followed by the hoarse laugher of drunken men. Immediately she tightened her jaw again, closing her legs tighter on her stool while Inner Sakura threatened to break free from the chains restraining her. She hated this. Never had she let any man disrespect her as such in the past. What was the point of training under Tsunade if it was to let lowly thugs annoy her like that? Sasuke had his teeth gritted too and was really getting tired of these men's attitude, but thankfully the bartender came back in an instant with two full beer mugs "Here you go~"

"Wait" Sasuke rapidly interrupted the bartender's walk as he was about to leave to take other customer's orders.

The blond spun on his heel to set an elbow on the counter and lean on it in front of the two shinobis, the same sly smirk as earlier plastered on his face when he inquired in a fake polite voice "What may I help you with?"

Sasuke called Sakura's name to wake her from her dark murdering plans. Blinking in surprise, the kunoichi seized the photograph of Haruko in her back-pouch and presented it to the curious bartender "Have you seen this girl around? She went missing a few months ago."

The blond stoked his goatee in thoughts for a moment, making the two ninjas wait more or less patiently for an answer as he observed the girl's features on the paper for a long time, pivoting it to place it under the yellow light of a nearby lamp and watching from different angles. Eventually he put the photograph on the counter for Sakura to retrieve when he declared "Yeah, I remember her."

"Really?" The pink haired medic's eyes went wide in pleased surprise.

"Yes, you're lucky I have a good memory though, it all happened back in December when there were all these shooting stars around at night."

Indeed it was quite unexpected and honestly unhoped-for in Sasuke's part. Knowing that Haruko had disappeared months ago when he was on his way to Konoha during the moon incident, the chances of finding her track at the end of March were rather thin. In most scenarios, the chances of her being alive and well were even thinner.

"Can you give us more detail?" Sakura inquired right away.

"Why of course, my dear." Sakura frowned a little and repressed a growl at that, though it didn't affect the bartender's smirk in the slightest "It was quite a commotion when she came around, that's why I remember. There's an age restriction here, you see, Kirigakure's policy for our children's 'innocence' and blablabla like the Mizukage said… Anyway, this girl was way too young to be granted entrance to my wonderful Thistle…"

The blond let his words hang in the air, leaving two frustrated shinobis waiting for the next part of his story. Though after more than thirty seconds of silence, it didn't seem like he would continue. It took Sasuke one more to notice the insistent look he cast between the two mugs of beer and their owners. With his dark eyes proudly staring back at the bartender, Sasuke slowly brought the mug to his lips to drink a quarter of its sour content. Understanding the idea, Sakura reluctantly drank a few sips of her own beer, trying her best not to shut her eyes tightly because of the unfamiliar alcoholic taste.

Now satisfied, the blond droopy eyed man continued his tale "So, yes, she was young. Probably less than sixteen actually! And what's more is that she wasn't even conscious when these guys brought her in!"

"What guys?" Sasuke asked sternly.

"I'm getting to it don't worry" such fun it was for the sly bartender to play with some shinobi's patience "It was pretty late you see, we were about to close when these three guys stepped in, one of them carrying this girl over his shoulder. So I politely told them to come back another day but they made a whole fuss about it -it almost turned into a brawl. And trust me it wouldn't have been fun to reconstruct my whole bar after these ninjas messed the whole place…"

"Ninjas!?" Sakura exclaimed in astonishment "Did you see their hitai-ate?"

"Of course I did, how else would I have recognized them as ninjas, sweetheart?" Sakura growled lowly this time and took another sip of beer in hopes of calming herself down a bit, to no success.

"So who were they?" Sasuke asked as emotionless as ever.

"These guys were from Kumo, official shinobis I can tell."

"What, not even rogues?" The bartender shook his head at Sakura's inquiry.

"Sweetie, you don't need to ask me silly questions when I already told you they were officials …" the blond purred, amused by Sakura's behavior.

"Did they say anything about their motives or their destination?" The Uchiha struggled to stay unfazed and keep from glaring at this joke of a bartender. Sasuke needed to ask precise questions. The faster they were out, the better.

"Well, they mentioned something about a mission but I don't recall much else…"

"Alright" Sasuke let out a mental sigh of relief. Good, now they could go. He dropped the needed amount of money to pay his beer then stepped off his stool without another word, motioning for Sakura to follow. She gladly did. however as they were walking towards the exit and passed by the table closest to it, the boldest drunkard yet decided to make his move.

Before the kunoichi could turn around, the man rapidly stood up from his chair and slapped her butt while laughing stupidly along with his comrades sitting around the table. It looked like he was about to say something with his mouth open for everyone to smell the disgusting, rotten odor of alcohol in his breath, but Sakura –now over the edge and letting her inner self take the lead- quickly aimed a punch at the pervert's face. Her skill made her appear incredibly fast to most people, but Sasuke's speed rivaled that of lightning. In an instant he had grabbed his teammate's wrist in his right hand while the other firmly held the drunkard's neck in a strangling grasp. With narrow eyes threatening to turn blood red, the Uchiha glared his darkest at the man who seemed about to piss himself in fear as he struggled against Sasuke's tightening iron grip. Without even noticing the numerous stunned gazes set on him, the shinobi's eyes widened in horror in a split second, freezing time and space just long enough for his blood to turn cold before he hurriedly dragged Sakura outside with him.

"Shit!" He cursed under his breath as the two started walking in a brisk pace that Sakura had much trouble following. Sasuke's thoughts overwhelmed him again _'I defended her. I only defended her…This man, how dare he touch her…I protected her, this was for her own good…But then why did I see…?'_

"Sasuke-kun, wait!" The kunoichi shouted to break him away from his thoughts.

He wasn't listening _'Why did this have to happen now!? Why did I see…her?'_ Sasuke had acted on pure instinct in the bar, it was a simple reflex to grab the assailant's neck in order to stop him and scare him away, Sasuke was trained as a ninja to react like that. But then… this vision from his past of a pink haired girl struggling in his grasp as he held her above the water by the throat with a poisoned kunai ready to… Sasuke shut his eyes tightly to will the image away. No matter what he did, his past always clawed its way back to him, whether it be in his travels when he came across hostile people, in his nightmares when his mind replayed the bloodiest days of his life before his eyes, or like then at the bar when circumstances suddenly made him see the most horrible things. He had felt it then…the urge to kill. True murderous impulses like he had had at the Samurai Bridge. Sasuke couldn't help these instincts; these demons - embodiments of his pain, despair and hatred- were deeply engraved in his body and mind, a whole part of him that emerged from the darkness of his soul whenever they had an opportunity to drag him back closer to the edge of insanity. He knew it would not end. As much as he wanted the demons to go, he knew there was no way to annihilate them, for heavens knew he had tried. Redemption was his only hope, but…

"Sasuke-kun! You're hurting me!"

The young Uchiha halted abruptly at the sound of Sakura's voice. His eyes widened when he took in her words after a few seconds _'Hurting her? Why…?'_ It was only when Sasuke turned around to face her that the he noticed her small wrist reddened by his tight grip. The coal eyed shinobi let go of it hastily. Sakura rubbed the aching mark on her skin before looking up at her companion with genuine concern painted all over her face "Sasuke-kun what's wrong? Tell me!"

"It's nothing. I overreacted…"

"Don't give me that!" She scolded loudly, frowning deeply "Just look at yourself, you're trembling like a scared puppy!"

True enough, Sasuke had his fists balled tightly and his whole body tense in an effort to stop his anxious shaking, but it was in vain. He was like that whenever his traumas resurfaced. It had been foolish of him to believe that he could keep himself in check while he traveled with Sakura since he had no control over these things. Sasuke tried to calm down, to take deep breath and close his eyes, but when he did the image of a pink haired girl striving to air as he strangled her came flashing in his mind, her screams and whimpers of fear resounding along with the pictures. The pupils in his obsidian eyes turned to tiny beads in shock no, in panic _'Get a grip on yourself, Uchiha!'_ Sasuke ordered himself desperately.

Sakura stared worriedly at him. She could hardly see his eyes with his raven bangs covering his profile, but his current distress -which soon overcame her too- became all the more obvious. As an attempt to reassure him, the young medic reached out to touch his arm "Sasuke-kun…"

"Don't!" The Uchiha instantly slapped her hand away, his eyes wild and now in her field of vision. Sasuke cursed, quickly realizing what he had done once he met her watery gaze. His voice was as emotionless as he could when he spoke, but rather breathless "Sorry… just… give me a minute."

Sakura was at a loss for words _'What's wrong with him? He suddenly went mad after this man came up to me at the bar, but why is he all scared now? I need to do something for him, I can't just stand there helplessly! Quick, an idea…an idea…'_ The kunoichi scanned her surroundings. They had reached the end of the eastern commercial district and were now in front of a balcony/cliff which overlooked a lower part of the city. The 'balcony', as Sakura had decided to call it, was actually a large elevated wall whose base was built on the lower part of the eastern neighborhood. The two shinobis had had to climb stairs and up a hill to reach this point, but Sakura had to admit, the clearer view of the sky was truly worth it. Then she spotted a bench in the shade of a tree next to the white railing of the 'balcony' and a light bulb lit up above her head.

"Sasuke-kun, come on sit down" the medic instructed, showing the way to her teammate.

The young man followed without protest and sat down beside her on the stone bench. It was a little better, his breath had slowed a little even though it was still far from even. Sasuke didn't dare close his eyes though, in fear that more flashes of his dark past would come back. Unable to sit calmly in this situation, Sakura moved and made her way to stand before her teammate, looking worriedly at his panting form and tense fingers nervously wrinkling the cloth of his pants.

"Sasuke-kun, please tell me what's wrong" the medic pleaded.

Sasuke didn't want to be like that, he didn't want her to see this… How would Sakura take it if she knew that he had been about to murder a drunkard on impulse? Or, worse: did she still resent him for what had happened at the Samurai Bridge? It would only be normal if she did…

The young Uchiha glanced at his teammate's features for a second. Her eyebrows were knitted, shading her concerned, shiny eyes, and her mouth turned down in a frown with her lips slightly parted. It was clear that his condition made her nearly as edgy as he was. Sasuke hated seeing her like that, he was supposed to atone for all the tears she had shed by his fault, not make her worry so much… But the demons…They would not go away, no matter what he did. Sasuke was so desperate to find solace after all the tears, blood and suffering that his life had been. Maybe he didn't deserve it, maybe his only redemption would be to suffer from these memories for the rest of his life. To never be forgiven…

Suddenly he looked up again, feeling a soft touch on his right hand. Teary emerald met his sight as Sakura stared deeply into his eyes, conveying every ounce of the genuine concern and care she had for him. She was standing on her knees on the ground to be at eye level with him, holding onto his good hand with both of hers, not too tightly, but closely enough to show how much she wanted his pain to vanish. Her thin, soft fingers sheltered his from the humid air, providing warmth and gentleness. And under them, Sasuke's own gradually relaxed as he relished in her protective gesture.

There was silence for long minutes. Like in the Forest of Death all those years ago, Sakura gave him all the comfort she could provide through eye contact and the tender touch of her fingers. She remembered that then too, Sasuke had been in great pain, and seeing that this time his breathing was calming down, she couldn't help the reassured smile tugging at the corners of her lips. The Uchiha watched the smile growing on her face, in awe that her soothing power went to that extent, able to calm him even in the worst situations. He was still a little shaken, but nothing like what he had been a few minutes ago.

"…I'm sorry" he let out quietly, sighing.

"For what?" Sakura immediately answered.

His voice was still small even when he struggled for it to regain its usual emotionless deep tone "You said beating up perverts was your privilege."

Her beautiful green orbs became rounder for a short second as she blinked in surprise, then hearty light giggles escaped her mouth "I forgive you, but only this time."

They stayed like this for a few more moments before the cold hit Sasuke's fingers again with Sakura standing up "Let's go, we have people to meet."

Slightly disappointed, the young man nonetheless nodded and stood up as well "Hn."

They walked calmly, side by side in the streets of Kiri with Sasuke absent-mindedly glancing at his companion every two minutes. She did the same too and started conversing about whatever would come to her mind in order to keep him with her, away from the demons' claws. Whether it be about red apples sold at the end of winter or a group of genin arguing in a corner, Sasuke always replied and commented, eager to ease her worries. Sakura's gentle smile rewarded him each time along with eyes filled with care. He had given her quite a scare, he was sure, but he wouldn't lie to himself and promise it wouldn't happen again. There was hope though, may it be derisory or illusive, that Sakura's presence on this journey would tame the beasts hiding within the depths of his soul. And for that he was glad, even though it was selfish to make her go through this with him. Yes, Sasuke was definitely glad to have taken Sakura with him.

* * *

 _ **A.N/:**_ _I feel like the ending of this chapter is a little cheesy...does anyone care?_

 _After all, I don't think that Sasuke would have gotten rid of his demons so easily after the war. To me, he's not as strong as he pretends to be but well..._

 _You might be wondering why I posted two chapters in one day. Well, I'm going to my grand-parents' next Monday and I won't have the internet for about ten days so I won't be able to post anything next week. Hopefully I will be back by the Thursday after next Thursday (does that make any sense?), so you won't have to worry about chapter 16.^^_

 _Until then, please review so I can know what you thought about this chapter! :)_


	16. Part 3 - Chapter 16

_**FLY AWAY- Part 3 : The Hint**_

 _ **Chapter 16**_

It was close to ten a.m. when the young Uchiha woke up first to a grayish Saturday morning the next day. The previous night, Sasuke and Sakura had been greeted by excessively polite parents who had showered them with impressive amounts of food, countless questions about their travels and whatnot as thanks for telling them "The twins are safe in Konoha" (word for word). As a result, both shinobis had ended up dead tired, with round, too full stomachs and a massive headache on the Uchiha's part. Which was worst: people chasing after him with forks and torches, or overly welcoming acquaintances?

Sasuke's last memory of that night had been of Sakura staggering out of the bathroom and crashing onto the mattress of her bed, falling asleep without the force to pull up the covers over her body. Groaning, he had done it for her -but not without half-hearted complaints about her carelessness before he had passed out as well.

The raven haired young man sat up slowly, rubbed his eyes and recognized the hotel room they had checked in the previous day. The walls were painted blue and made of stone while the creaky waxed parquet floor was highly carpeted and honey brown colored. The place had seemed old when the two ninjas had first arrived at the half-timbered inn. However, 'old' was clearly an understatement concerning the wrinkled grayish man at the front desk who had eyed them suspiciously when they had asked for one room only in order to lower the costs. Sasuke had clearly specified that they wanted two separate beds but it didn't stop the accusing glances of the backward elder as he handed them the key to their room on the second floor.

Shaking off the memory, Sasuke looked over to the bed separated from his by a nightstand on his left. Sakura slept soundly on her back, a rare thing for her as Sasuke had noticed she preferred to lie on her sides. An arm was spread over the sheets almost dangling off the mattress while the other rested on her chest, calmly rising and falling at the slow rhythm of her breath. The pink haired girl's face was slightly tilted away from the window and towards him in unconscious hopes of finding more shade, but Sasuke didn't waste any more time studying the gentle features that he mostly knew by heart after a week of sleeping next to her at Tazuna's.

The shinobi stretched his numb limbs a little, using Sakura's lack of attention as an opportunity to unashamedly show his laziness. Naruto had told him once that he had always thought the survivor of the Uchiha was an early riser, but no, far from it, Sasuke enjoyed taking it easy in the morning when he woke up whenever he had the luxury of time. It was when he spotted his shoulder bag on a chair a few meters away from his bed that he quietly cursed though. Things were getting serious.

Sasuke carefully placed his bare right foot on the floor, then the left, and tentatively tried to stand up. But to no avail the parquet's loud creaking came to his ears as a sharp, croaky cry. He sat back down on the mattress at once, afraid to have woken up his teammate with the sound. Thankfully when he looked back at her over his shoulder he only saw Sakura shifting her neck to lay her cheek flat on her pillow with a muffled groan. Holding back a sigh of relief, the Uchiha tried a new approach. It was when the classic way didn't work that ninja skills always came in handy. Determined not to abort this mission, Sasuke channeled chakra to his feet in an attempt to create some kind of cushion to suppress the noise of his footfall on the floor. It worked for the first few steps, but the old parquet was a far worse enemy than he had imagined. Twice after he made it creak the shinobi heard the shifting of sheets behind him _'Of course she had to be a light-sleeper'_ he cursed mentally.

With much effort, Sasuke finally reached his bag, grabbed his pants and threw them on as per usual. Fatal mistake. A sickening long creak resounded across the room, making Sasuke cringe and Sakura's eyes snap open. She stirred, moaned when her tired eyes met the dim morning light bathing the room and blinked a few times "...What was that?" She half-mumbled in her sleepy state.

This was probably Sasuke's first fail at a mission. He cursed once again under his breath before replying emotionlessly "You can go back to sleep."

Sakura sat up and rubbed her eyes "No, it's okay…" she yawned "I'm up." The kunoichi looked over at the other side of the room to find her teammate rummaging through his bag in search of his clothes. Only Sasuke was too fast for Sakura to look away. Her eyes gradually widened once her foggy vision stabilized and she could see him discarding his white pajama T-shirt, displaying the strong muscle of his back to her. She was far and it only lasted a second before his lean body was covered by his Uchiha crested black shirt again, but it was enough for a bright scarlet blush to form on the young woman's cheeks with inner Sakura becoming wild in her head. _'That's it, I'm a desperate case…'_ she though, looking away and back at her knees.

Suddenly a 'knock' sound interrupted inner Sakura's crazy rumba. The medic turned to the window from which the sound had erupted and got up lazily to walk towards it. Pushing the light blue curtains aside, Sakura let out an 'oh' of surprise as she recognized Sasuke's hawk, tapping with its beak on the glass surface. The bird of prey barely waited to come in after it was open and went to cozily perch itself on the end of Sasuke's bed. Sakura studied the animal for a while starting with its legs to check for a letter. There was none, but she felt stupid once her eyes landed on the small wrapped up box attached to the hawk's back.

"Wow! Sasuke-kun, look at that!" She exclaimed while detaching the box. The bird disappeared in a poof of smoke as soon as she had freed it from its load, leaving Sakura with the package in her hands "It's pretty heavy!"

"Hn." The raven haired ninja finished attaching the belt of his gray jacket and went over to sit on his bed, tying the bands on his calves while watching Sakura study the package from various angles.

The medic-nin sat beside him hurriedly to discover the box's content but quickly felt self-conscious under the Uchiha's gaze. She looked away with a pinkish blush tainting her cheeks, ran a hand through her unruly bed hair and put the strap of her light pink top higher on her shoulder to cover herself better. Noticing no change in Sasuke's behavior as he moved on to the blue bands on his forearms, she sighed nervously -though her embarrassment was soon replaced by excitement and curiosity when she eyed the box in her lap again. The young medic untied the knot of the green dotted cloth covering the wooden box. Taking a deep breath in anticipation, Sakura opened it at last, a smile instantly growing on her lips at the view of its content.

On top was a picture showing all her friends in the Hokage's office. Seated in the middle behind his desk, Kakashi seemed to be struggling for air with Naruto's right arm hooked around his neck. Though the blond's mood wasn't affected in the least by his poor sensei's predicament as he was grinning brightly at the camera with a worried Hinata by his side. Behind the Hyuuga heiress stood Kiba, smirking toothily with Akamaru sitting at his feet. Upon closer inspection behind the dog's hairy white tail, Shino could be found looking impassive and unfazed by the situation as per habit. On Kakashi's left, Sai was giving his usual poker-faced smile with Ino beaming and clinging onto his arm. Chouji and Shikamaru were close behind her, and while the latter looked like he had no idea what he was doing there, the larger young man was smiling happily as he finished a bag of chips. Tenten and Lee were also present behind the Hokage, grinning like all the others -although with a certain 'spark' on the green clad ninja's part.

Sakura studied the picture for long minutes before turning it over and noticing a multitude of messages written in bright colors. Naruto's messy handwriting was easily recognizable in the middle with red letters forming 'Happy Birthday Sakura-chan!'

Both shinobi's eyes widened and Sasuke looked over at Sakura, confused. "Oh my gosh!" She giggled "What day are we today?"

"March 29th" Sasuke replied, equally as surprised.

Sakura brought a hand to her heart, her smile growing even wider if possible "They're only one day late. I can't believe I had forgotten about my own birthday!"

Overjoyed, the kunoichi started eagerly reading all the messages at the back of the picture under her companion's flabbergasted gaze. Thankfully, her happiness made her blind to notice the Uchiha's inner turmoil -Sasuke wouldn't have been able to cover up his shock at the moment. He had forgotten her birthday. He hadn't even known when it was before then. But the worst was, he had completely ruined it the previous day with his panic attack, even though neither of them had remembered the exceptional event at the time. Guilt formed like a ball in his throat, rendering him unable to speak so much as a small 'sorry'. He wouldn't have said it anyway, afraid to see Sakura's laughter at whatever Naruto had written disappear.

"Sasuke-kun! Look at all these!" The pink haired young woman exclaimed as she took out a bunch of sweets from the box. "Wait, is that…" She fished out a bright yellow plastic pack from the bottom of the box and held it up for both of them to see "…Instant Ramen?"

The two ninjas stared for a moment, repressing a facepalm, before Sakura discarded the item with a low 'Baka-Naruto' grumbled under her breath and returned to her reading. It didn't light up Sasuke's spirits though. He had made a promise to be good to her and spare her pain, yet he had even forgotten her birthday, too preoccupied by his own demons. It was unforgivable, unjustifiable, pathetic. A strong wish, or more of a need, forcefully emerged in his being which the cold voice at the back of his head was powerless to overcome: He had to do something to make her smile. For all the times he had hurt her, all the times she had stood by his side, for him, no matter what, he now needed to bring her happiness and make it up to her.

' _But how?'_ Sasuke questioned himself. It was so unlike him to go shopping, even more to give her a present. Sakura would most likely freak out and attack him thinking he was an imposter if he actually bought her a gift. Nevertheless, no matter how hard it would be for his ego and Sakura to come to terms with this idea, Sasuke would make an exception at least for this once. However this didn't help him find what he should give her. That was when his tactical spirit kicked in. First he made a mental list of what girls usually like: clothes and make-up of course (he knew that much from months of being stuck with Karin), little animals, flowers… Secondly, he had to select the best ideas out of these. Clothes would be bulky while they traveled, he couldn't overload her with such a troublesome gift; Sakura hardly ever wore make-up, she honestly didn't need it and besides, Sasuke wouldn't know where to start in a make-up shop; a pet was simply a very bad idea; flowers sounded good though. It would be easy to buy a small bouquet for her to keep in a corner of her bag.

' _Scratch that idea'_ Sasuke thought after he stole a look at his teammate who had just discovered a yellow rose hidden behind the pack of ramen.

Sakura caught his gaze then and didn't let it go, staring inquisitively at Sasuke as she ate a violet sweet. The Uchiha frowned, confused, so she decided to voice question "So, what do we do today?" Seeing his brows furrow, she enlightened her point with a grin playing on her lips "I was wondering if you wanted to leave right away or spend some more time here."

Sasuke immediately concealed the stroke of genius that hit him with his usual impassive expression "Do you?" He replied.

"Huh?" Sakura tilted her head cutely to the side. Turning twenty seemed to paradoxically make her act even more childishly than usual.

The Uchiha smirked a little at that "Do you want to stay here for a while?" This was pure genius! Sakura was always in complete awe when she visited new places, it was because of this thirst for freedom and discovery that she had wanted to leave Konoha in the first place. So why not tour around Kiri for a while? The medic would be overjoyed and it would give Sasuke enough time to think of a present for her.

Sakura blinked twice in puzzlement "Well, I know we have to go to Kumo to look for Haruko…"

"It can wait one more day" Sasuke stated as blankly as always.

She looked up to him with big emerald orbs as if to ask 'Really?' He gave a short nod and Sakura stood from the bed, her hands on her hips and her childish grin turning into a smaller smile of happiness in an effort to hide the excitement building up inside her "Walking around won't hurt anybody, will it?" _'Shannaroooo!'_ Inner Sakura couldn't help but add.

The kunoichi immediately grabbed her 'winter clothes' and went to the bathroom in a pace that she struggled to keep normally slow in order not to show how overexcited she was. A stroll with her beloved Sasuke-kun…She was already far up beyond cloud nine. The onyx eyed ninja had not failed to notice this of course and was amazed at how such simple things could make her this happy. It was nice nonetheless to hear her hum quietly in delight from the bathroom and recall her big smile in his mind -but he had no time to savor this small victory, this was only the first part of the plan.

As soon as Sakura was ready to go, Sasuke followed her as she almost skipped down the stairs and waited for him at the bottom. Neither of them missed the stern reproachful gaze of the elder at the front desk, but the young man couldn't have cared less and nothing could have altered the the medic's incredibly high spirits. Funny though how he almost seemed to be disappointed at being proved wrong after no indecent sound came from the two shinobis' room the previous night.

Once outside and in the streets of Kiri, Sasuke and Sakura walked through the commercial district they already knew from the previous day and stopped to have breakfast at a little café which welcomed them far better than The Thistle, maybe a little too well actually, with the waiters' posh accents and demeanors -Sakura laughed and made fun of them afterwards though, so Sasuke didn't mind. Her attempts at conversing with him remained fruitless since he was still trying to find a good idea for a present by looking at every shop window they passed, so they both settled for a peaceful silence. Sakura enjoyed the chatter of people in the streets, looking at them in their daily activities. A child chasing after another with a ball under his arm, middle aged women discussing the changing price of fish coming from the Wave in the market, teenagers laughing at some joke… After all, it wasn't so different from what she usually saw in Konoha, but it still felt new to her somehow; firstly because this _wasn't_ Konoha but also probably thanks to Sasuke's presence beside her. Being with him this instant, tranquil and happy, she couldn't have wished for anything better.

About an hour and a half had passed, yet Sasuke's tactical spirit was deceiving him as they went by the last of the shops in Eastern Kiri and arrived in a small green grassed park. Nothing but the usual florist, tailor and such had attracted his eye and he had already come to the conclusion that these gifts would not do. As an Uchiha he would not accept defeat. He could not fail. Even though it may have seemed stupid to get so restless over such a thing, Sasuke was determined to find the best possible gift for his teammate.

But his time was already up. Lifting up his head to stare at the grayish white heavens, a drop, then two fell on the tip of his nose and his cheek. The rain. Sasuke cursed as its fall intensified. He caught his companion's gaze and in mutual understanding they started walking back to the inn. Only the sky's tears showed no mercy to the poor shinobis as they soon formed a heavy curtain, hiding their view and drenching the two in cool water. It became an obstacle course for Sasuke and Sakura to run from one shop awning to another while avoiding dangerous puddles on their way. They were soaked from head to toe by the time the unpleasant old man at the reception greeted them with a derisive stare, though the two were smirking as they made their way upstairs while dripping water on the parquet under the elder's gradually widening shocked eyes.

Frozen, wet and trembling a little, they finally reached their room. But against all of Sasuke's expectations, Sakura was chuckling as she wrung out her hair in her palm, making drops of water fall on the floor "That was fun, but I need a shower." She smiled back up at him "Do you mind if I go first?"

Sasuke shook his head blankly, wondering what fun there could be in running under the rain until they froze to death or caught pneumonia. With his agreement, the pink haired jounin strode towards the bathroom, leaving a trail of raindrops behind her. As the sound of the shower came from behind the locked door in front of him, Sasuke pulled up a chair to sit down and think. A torrential rain and no shop in town that had given him a bright idea or even inspired him… What could he possibly do in these conditions? He needed to find something, to show her for once that he cared too. But what could he offer to rival with her friends back in Konoha?

The young Uchiha picked up the small gift box that still lied on his bed. Sakura had neatly rearranged its content so that she had an easy access to the violet sweets while the picture of the Konoha 11 stood against one of its corners. The ramen pack had been discarded and remained on the bed next to where the box had laid. Sasuke silently picked up the photograph and turned it over, scanning through the messages of his friends.

 _Happy Birthday Sakura-chan! We all miss you here. It's weird going to Ichiraku when you're not there to tell me off when I eat too much, you know? Teme better take good care of you or I'll smack him when he comes back! Anyway, I hope everything goes well for you two and that you're happy, Sakura-chan. Hope to hear from you soon and don't forget to make a wish when you blow your candles–ttebayo !_

' _Naruto…'_ Sasuke wouldn't have expected any less from his stupid rival. Reminding him to protect Sakura on her own birthday card... When his gaze lingered around the end of Naruto's message however, his onyx eyes widened. _'Blowing her candles? That means…'_ Of course! Why hadn't he thought about this earlier?

Without wasting anytime, Sasuke threw the hood of the cloak he was still wearing over his head despite its dripping state and rushed towards the door. He bolted down the stairs, dropping more water on the floor the old manager was trying to mop. But the shinobi was too deep in thoughts to even mind the grumbles and hushed curses behind him as he passed the door and fled under the rain. Knowing Sakura, he had approximately fifteen minutes before she would step out of the shower, more than enough for the likes of him.

And indeed when Sakura came out wearing a white open bathrobe over her short jounin qipao dress and black tight shorts, she found Sasuke soaked to the bone with his clothes becoming a second skin over his body on the doorstep. She studied him with her mouth agape, from his heavy breathing which he tried his best to calm down making his chest rise and fall rapidly, to the droplets running everywhere on his pale skin and at the tips of his spiky damp locks that stuck to his face. Obviously his hood had not been enough to protect him from the rain as it lay limp on his back, filled with water like a sponge, the same as his whole cloak and probably the rest of his clothes underneath.

Blinking a few times, Sakura quickly recovered from her shock and wordlessly slipped back in the bathroom under a pair of baffled coal eyes. She reappeared with two large towels in her hands, marching hastily towards her companion "Why on Earth did you go back outside in this weather?" she scolded as Sasuke took off his cloak.

Sakura arched an eyebrow upon discovering a middle sized purple box under the Uchiha's arm after he had put the piece of clothing away. Safe for a few drops rolling off its plasticized cardboard surface, the box seemed unharmed by the rain. Sakura met her companion's blank eyes, utterly confused, but he only walked towards the white table resting against the wall next to the bathroom door in silence to delicately place the box on it. The look that he gave Sakura intending to ask her to come closer went unheeded by the kunoichi who stomped her way to him while carrying the young man's previously abandoned chair. After she had dropped it by the table in front of the heater, the medic ignored Sasuke's puzzled gaze when she placed her hands on his shoulders and strongly pushed downwards, urging him to sit.

A slight frown of annoyance appeared on the young man's face as he remained rooted on his spot despite the medic's best –chakra less- attempts "Sakura, you have to…"

"No, Sasuke-kun!" She interrupted authoritatively, fixing her emerald eyes upon his own without fear. "I don't want you to catch your death because of some silly rain, especially not on my birthday! So you're gonna sit down and let me help dry you off."

Of course she would always worry too much about him. Sasuke sighed, motioning towards the box "Sakura, I brought…"

She pouted and gave another push "Later Sasuke-kun! You're colder than an ice cube, now come on!"

This was not how he had planned his triumphant return with her 'amazing' birthday present, but seeing the deep concern behind the dangerous flames in her eyes, Sasuke eventually gave in with another sigh and sunk down on the chair. Firstly he undid the bands on his calves and took off his squishy shoes. Then he hesitated, but knowing that his long-time teammate was more than trustworthy, he eventually unbuckled his gray flak jacket and took off his soaked black shirt. Now bare chest, the young Uchiha stared up impassively at the blushing Sakura in front of him. After a short silence she mumbled an apology in fear that she had stared at his broad, toned, dripping wet chest for too long and hurriedly gave him one towel to dry his body while she took care of his hair with another. If after all these years she still needed proof of Uchiha Sasuke's incredible good looks and overly sexy body, she now had it, engraved forever in her memory to inner Sakura's sheer happiness.

Trying to regain her composure, she grumbled in a low reprimanding voice "We were caught by surprise earlier but really, why did you go out under such rain again? And what's inside that box?"

Sasuke smirked as he proceeded to carefully dry off his bandaged prosthetic arm "Later Sakura, later…"

Was that payback? Sakura frowned even more. _'Now I want to know!'_ She thought desperately, showing him her frustration by pulling harder on his raven spikes as she dried them.

He groaned, warning her to stop, and she stuck out her tongue from behind him. Sakura took great care in drying off his dark, beautiful, long, probably silky soft hair, but had to stop only ten minutes after she had started seeing that she could not do much better than leave his semi-humid locks to dry naturally. Sasuke felt slightly disappointed at that as he had spent too long wondering whether he should simply close his eyes and surrender to the relaxing feeling of her careful fingers massaging his scalp, or preserve his emotionless façade like the voice at the back of his head ordered him to. In the end, he had opted for a mix of the two, leaning lazily on the rigid chair back with half lidded eyes even though his mouth remained turned down in a frown. He quickly sat upright when the kunoichi moved back in front of him, admiring her work.

"Oops, your hair is all messy now" She giggled. Sasuke immediately brought a hand up to feel the extent of the damage but surprisingly, Sakura beat him to it. Before she could even catch herself she instinctively reached out to gently flatten his hair where it was needed and brush his unruly locks out of his eyes. Though it was when she did so that she met his perplexed coal orbs and realized just what she was doing. Keeping eye contact for a second, Sakura blinked, then hastily pulled her hands away and turned her back to Sasuke in order to hide her crimson blush of embarrassment, apologies spilling out of her mouth like an endless flow.

Her behavior had surprised the young Uchiha, not offended him like she seemed to think. Sakura would never show her affection physically despite the deep love she nurtured for him in fear of being 'annoying' to Sasuke. She preferred keeping everything safely in so as not to drive him away even though small fragments of her love would always show through her eyes somehow. Honestly, she feared the hurtful words of rejection that could spill from his mouth after any careless gesture much more than she would have liked.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I didn't mean to…I didn't want to bother you…" Sakura kept apologizing in a small voice, her back still facing him and her hands on her heart in protection. What if Sasuke pushed her away like he always did? What if he broke her heart again with a few sentences in response to her uncalled-for actions?

"Sakura" he called, standing up. His voice was low, but free of hostility or reproach, so she turned around slowly, looking up at him with big innocent green eyes.

She gazed back down when he pushed the purple box on the table towards her, encouraging her to open it. Sakura soundlessly did as she was silently told and soon her eyes widened when they landed on a delicious looking chocolate cake with meringue and strawberries on top; in its center stood a pink candle and a small chocolate card with two words written in gold on it.

"Happy Birthday" Sasuke said emotionlessly, but quietly and with his eyes shyly downcast. When they returned to meet hers though it stunned Sakura on the spot for one simple reason: however small it may have been, a ghost of a genuine, kind and gentle smile appeared on his lips at this instant, while he was looking at her. And this alone was probably the best birthday present she had ever received.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _After a full day of traveling back home by car from "no-internetville", I AM BACK!_

 _This was a very cute chappy with lots of romance since the last one delt with some traumas of Sasuke's. I hope you liked it!^^_

 _If you have trouble picturing the brthday cake, just imagine one of those sparkly, surreal ones from Kuroshitsuji. ;)_

 _I was overjoyed to read you guys' reviews after my long absence, so thank you very very much! Believe me, I take all of these comments to heart to keep on writing my best!_

 _'Till next week~_


	17. Part 4- Chapter 17

_**FLY AWAY- Part 4 : Looking**_

 _ **Chapter 17**_

' _He really cares'_ Sakura had thought, truly flabbergasted but also overwhelmed by the pleasant warmth flowing through her whole being when Sasuke had presented her the birthday cake he had brought back, an oh so sincere smile adorning his usually hard features. The gratitude that she had felt then was beyond her own belief, as if with just two words, a smile and a pastry he had managed to compensate for years worth of pain and solitude. It might have seemed impossible for her to do so after all this time, but Sakura had most definitely fallen even deeper in love with this man at that very instant. And no matter how hard she tried to act normally around him the following days, Sakura had turned into goo, subconsciously wanting nothing more than to let him know just how _happy_ –for a lack of a better word to describe the absolute glee and overpowering waves of affection that had bewitched her body and soul- she was thanks to him. At first, the emerald eyed jounin had been too afraid of being annoying to her dear Sasuke-kun and had preferred staying more or less calmly by his side as they sailed north and across the sea to the Lightning Country. But upon reaching the coasts, she had not found it in herself to hold back anymore and had begun chatting about the 'amazing time' she had had with him in Kiri. Sasuke who thought hanging around in a hotel room while eating cake during a storm wasn't so extraordinary only nodded and answered shortly -but not harshly- every time. Funny though, how this feeling of contentment welled up inside him whenever he glanced at her radiant features.

However, it was not long before his spirits darkened again as they neared the Hidden Cloud Village. Sasuke watched the sun gradually sinking down in the sky as different scenarios of his arrival in Kumo played in his mind. He was well aware that certain people there didn't particularly hold him in their hearts, it would be stupid to deny it after he had spent month avoiding this destination during his past travels. But he couldn't help wondering _'Would they still despise me after two years?'_ Yes, probably, though maybe Sakura's presence would help lessen the tension in the slightest. 'Maybe'…

Not only that, but the young Uchiha had yet to inform his companion about Orochimaru's threat. It had almost been a week since Suigetsu had alerted him of this and surely Sakura would not be pleased when Sasuke would break the news to her after so long. But it didn't matter, he needed to warn her even if that meant he would have to survive one of her deadly temper tantrums. He felt now was not the best moment to tell his companion though, seeing her beaming, giggling for no reason and watching the sky with a bright grin on her rosy lips. Besides, the raven haired young man knew that he had more immediate problems to deal with once he distinguished the first few buildings embedded in high rocks among low cotton white clouds.

"Last time I came here was when the war began" Sakura said cheerfully. "It hasn't changed all that much."

Sasuke gave no answer, instead observing his surroundings intently, almost warily.

"Sasuke-kun?" The medic called his name inquisitively, puzzled by her teammate's behavior. "You seem preoccupied."

"Hn."

Sakura studied him for a while, her confusion growing into worry when he started eying every corner with eyes that he not so unintentionally hid behind his dark, long bangs. Frowning, Sakura swiftly made her way in front of Sasuke to make him halt, and there her suspicions were confirmed as her viridian orbs met scarlet ones.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong" she insisted more sternly. Showing the sharingan in public carelessly was surely not the best idea, Sasuke definitely knew. So even when people were scarce in the outskirts of Kumo in the late afternoon, why take the risk?

The Uchiha frowned in turn, finding it useless to blink off his sharingan when he had obviously been busted by his companion "I have a bad feeling."

Sakura tilted her head to the side in thought. Does a bad feeling necessarily involve a chakra check using his kekkei genkai? Nodding with a small sigh after a moment, she moved back to walk beside Sasuke, a silent promise to also stay alert.

The sun was already low and barely visible behind the high rocky mounts and numerous clouds of the Lightning country, though its light remained a clear yellowish tint. Sakura watched it dance on the roofs and the lowest vaporous clouds amidst buildings in the outskirts of Kumo. Soon they would reach the wooden bridge to the more populated center of the Hidden Village and nothing seemed abnormal as of yet. Sakura had been careful to mask her chakra a little, but apparently it would…

"Sak…!"

In a split second, a blinding flash of purple and blue light when she turned to face Sasuke. A sickening crack. Another loud noise; he crashed against the rocks a good ten meters behind them. A low pained moan as he sunk down. Sakura's eyes widened in horror. She was crouching beside her injured teammate in an instant, quickly analyzing the state he was in. Blood trickled from his mouth as he roughly coughed some more, wincing and grinding his teeth in an attempt to suppress the excruciating, searing ache in his side. His hand was on it, careful not to press on the skin behind black cloth, so Sakura easily deduced that the harsh blow he had received had broken more than one or two ribs.

But as she began healing him, the medic didn't miss the enraged flicker of the dark mangekyou sharingan appearing in his eyes. His jaw tightening, Sasuke held his head high and directed his glare towards his attacker. Sakura instictively looked up in the same direction, but gasped in shock when her gaze traveled from the small crowd that had assembled around the commotion to the three familiar figures in front of her, among them, the Fourth Raikage.

Small electric sparks erupted from the imposing shinobi's muscled body as he studied the two angrily _'the source of the blue blast'_ Sakura figured. The purple one had probably been that of Sasuke's Susano'o which he had failed to activate in time.

"What are you doing here in Kumogakure, Uchiha!?" The Raikage demanded in a thunderous voice, readying his large fist in front of him as if ready to battle.

Sakura was in shock even when she tried her best to focus on healing Sasuke. Back in Suiden it had been the villagers' hostility that drove them away, but now it was none other than the most powerful shinobi in the Lightning Country, Ay, the Raikage himself that assaulted them.

A white haired man that Sakura recognized as Darui attempted to ease his superior's rising temper "Boss, you should probably calm…"

"I asked a question. Now I'm waiting for an answer!" Ay raged on irately.

Sakura quickly looked back down with a short gasp of surprise when she felt shifting underneath her glowing green palm. A shaky Sasuke was struggling to stand up, his legs trembling in effort and more blood dripping from his mouth at the sudden straining movement. Sakura's eyes widened when he coughed dark red liquid into his palm again "Don't, please Sasuke-kun, stay still" she pleaded with both her shiny emerald eyes and anxious voice.

"Raikage-sama, Darui's right" the other man beside the Raikage, Cee, tried to reason with his leader once more. "You are taking this too far. When the guards hidden at the entrance signaled the Uchiha's presence you said you would only drive him away."

"Taking this too far, you say!?" Instead of soothing the fuming ninja, Cee had merely succeeded in aggravating the situation as the Raikage's rage was now erupting like a volcano spitting lava. "Is warding off a dangerous criminal who tried to kill my brother an overreaction!? Tell me!"

The poor Cee felt so small under the Raikage's dark glare that the rest of his wise and mature reasoning was left stuck in his throat. It was rare for Ay to get into such a state of insane fury, the last Cee and Darui recalled was when news of Killer Bee's supposed capture by Sasuke Uchiha had reached his ears. The white haired man nonetheless apologized on his comrade's behalf, unwilling to suffer the Raikage's wrath, but still eager on watching the development of this situation.

Still struggling to take rapid, sharp intakes of breath, Sasuke had finally managed to stand up after Sakura had healed his most prominent internal wounds. His gaze was proud and crimson red like the blood that trickled down his partly open mouth. Despite the medic's protests to let her take care of his ribs a little longer, Sasuke harshly wiped the thick liquid away with the back of his good hand, only glaring harder at Ay in front of him. A criminal. This was what he still was to most people, including the powerful Raikage who had reached an agreement with the other countries' leaders to drop Sasuke's charges two years ago. Yet here he was again, standing before the menacing muscle mass that Ay was, like the Kage Summit in the Land of Iron had taken place the previous day.

Sasuke parted his lips to speak, pausing for a moment to shortly breathe in air that tasted like metal because of the blood in his mouth before lifting up his chin even higher in pride, his deep, slow tone finally breaking the tense silence "My business here is none of your concern."

Sakura let his name escape her mouth in fear of the Raikage's reaction to this, but Ay didn't give her the time to dissuade Sasuke from provoking him as he bellowed without even pausing to catch his breath "I won't tolerate an Uchiha like you in this village whether you think it's my concern or not! Even though the other Kages may have, I will NEVER forget what you did to Bee! And if you don't leave this village right now, I will be more than eager to take revenge for him!"

Under his breath, Sasuke chuckled quietly like the arrogant young man he had always been and brushed his bangs away with his hand, uncovering his left sharingan eye to stare directly into the Raikage's fuming, dark ones. Sakura followed the movement of his hand reaching up behind his back to come and rest on the hilt of his sword. "I'd like to see you try" were the words Sasuke uttered in that dark menacing tone that she recognized from years before, when he had been a stranger, heartless and mad on his quest for revenge.

Sakura understood why he was enraged right then, somehow. Sasuke had been nearly transparent on his journey for more than a year, never causing harm or attracting attention, doing whatever he could to repent for his mistakes. Yet, almost nothing had changed. He was still feared in the greater part of this world, loathed by some, sometimes chased away by others. He wasn't trusted, but it was normal after only a year, which was what he seemed to have much difficulty accepting. Without doubt Sasuke knew that his terrible reputation would not dissipate like a cloud of smoke in a few months and that it would take time for people to forget, not to mention forgive, his past deeds. But Sakura clearly understood that this knowledge didn't make things any easier for him, who was trying his best to redeem himself, to be seen so lowly by most.

It scared her, however, to hear that tone and Sakura knew that this wasn't the right decision. Giving in to darkness even for just a second would not solve anything, especially in this case. So for his sake, she could not allow him to take out his frustration and pain in a fight. The medic marched proudly towards Sasuke with a resolute spark lighting her eyes. Her back faced the dark haired man when she stopped in front of him and ignored his harsh complaints to lift an arm up in defense before her teammate "I can't let you do that, Sasuke-kun" she declared in a clear voice, her gaze set straight on the silent but seething Raikage.

Sasuke clenched his teeth even tighter behind her "Sakura, move…"

Before he could say more, Ay cut in in a roar, obviously annoyed by the kunoichi's unexpected intervention "Don't get involved or I'll have to treat you the same way as the Uchiha!" The way he spat Sasuke's last name felt as though it was the worst insult he could ever voice, making the uselessness of adding colorful words after it plain to all.

Sakura's determination didn't waver, her thin pink eyebrows knitting to form a deep frown over her stern and vivid green eyes as she stated sternly "Raikage-sama, Sasuke-kun and I didn't come here to fight. We're only travelers."

"And you expect me to believe that!?" Ay thundered, getting impossibly red in anger in spite the already dark color of his skin.

"However," Sakura continued, not caring about his interruption "it is not fair of you to punish Sasuke-kun for the very thing you're trying to do right now."

Ay was boiling. Not only had this kunoichi stepped in the way of his confrontation with the Uchiha, but she had the nerve to question his judgment! Defying both Cee and Darui's expectation, he managed to holler even louder than before "Who do you think you are to tell me what to do, you cheeky …!?"

"You want to get revenge!" Sakura shouted over the noise, successfully and incredibly shutting up none other than the Fourth Raikage himself. She carried on just as loud "Sasuke-kun lived for revenge in the past but not anymore! And now you only want to fight him so you can avenge your brother, just like he used to! Yet, even when you want the same as Sasuke-kun did _before_ , you still think he's in the wrong!? Tell me, how is that fair!?"

Everyone remained silent for a moment. Sasuke studied his teammate's back, poker-faced but truly dumbfounded after her speech. Most people around them including Cee and Darui were in shock, almost scared by the petite kunoichi's thunderous outburst. But Ay blinked, twice, to make sure that he had seen and heard correctly.

"And what if it's a fight that I want" he threatened darkly behind clenched teeth. A bluff, not an obvious one so that the Leaf kunoichi would take it seriously, but one to test her determination.

Sakura's frown deepened as she tightened the fist that was not in front of Sasuke "Then you'll have to fight me before laying a hand on Sasuke-kun." She could not afford to let Sasuke spar with the Raikage, even if she had to fight herself to prevent this. His tarnished reputation would greatly suffer from it for sure, and even though sparking a conflict between Konoha and Kumo in case she got too badly injured in the battle was next to the worst possible eventuality, Sakura knew that the consequences would be much worse if Sasuke became Ay's opponent. The Raikage hadn't given her any other alternative.

Sakura couldn't seem to read the strange astonished expression of the tall man in front of her though. Ay was in awe, yes, that a small girl like her had had the guts to stand up to him, and he couldn't help but be reminded of two particular ninjas from Konoha whom he had clashed with on various occasions. Firstly, a jinchuriki who had begged on his knees to protect this very young man that stood behind the pink haired kunoichi today. The unwavering determination shining in her eyes was a clear reminder of the jinchuriki's, though it was clear that this girl would never kneel before anyone in any circumstance -and many knew of the respect Ay had for this rare kind of shinobi. The second was a blond medical-nin who possessed Herculean strength that rivaled his own. With a strong resolve, no one would ever break her spirit. It was the resemblance between the latter and this young woman that showed the most, especially through the indigo diamond adorning their foreheads.

Sasuke had been speechless on the spot for too long, and when he finally decided to speak his outrage at Sakura's declaration, to scold her for her insane behavior, to shove her behind him so that _he_ could protect her, it was already too late as Ay didn't even let the Uchiha's bandaged left hand reach up to grip his companion's shoulder.

The Raikage's voice was rough and strong "You're Tsunade's apprentice, aren't you?"

Sakura simply nodded in response, her severe frown still present, while Sasuke's fist tensed and he glowered in warning at their attacker.

Silence weighted tons over the small crowd for a moment, with glares exchanged between each party defiantly. But it was the unbroken eye contact between Sakura's and the Raikage's stern pairs of eyes that concluded the argument. Sakura had made her point across as well as brilliantly passed Ay's test, therefore the outcome was now clear.

To most people's great surprise, Ay turned on his heel, calling for Cee and Darui to follow him back to his office. Before he crossed the human circle that had formed around the tumult, the Raikage looked over his shoulder to glance at the disbelieving pink haired kunoichi behind him "Keep the Uchiha under your watch and nothing will happen to you, but don't think that citizens will welcome you with open arms."

~O~

Dusk was long past. Strange how Kumogakure, the village with the most Raiton users, didn't let any street lights on outside past ten thirty. One inhabitant out of the dozen Sakura had questioned had put up with explaining briefly how Kumo was the pilgrim of energy saving in the world. Indeed, like the Raikage had warned, word of their clash with Ay had traveled at light's speed and the citizen's unwelcoming attitude had not helped the two exhausted shinobis to find an inn in the least, even more so when darkness had bathed them in the streets of Kumo and their only salvation had been Sakura's weak, pale flashlight. Nonetheless after a few tries, they had ended up in a small decrepit room with creaky wooden beds and a cold gray stone floor decorated with carpets full of holes as the sole furniture. Judging from this, Sakura strongly believed that the receptionist's excited smile once he had seen her and Sasuke come in hinted that they were the only customers of the house in a while _. 'No wonder the place is so unpopular'_ the kunoichi thought as she shifted for the umpteenth time on the old, red, scratchy covers of Sasuke's bed.

She was seated there beside the raven haired young man, tending to his wounds. Medical ninjutsu could only achieve so much and bandages were still necessary to help the rough scratches and burns on Sasuke's pale skin heal up as well as maintain his damaged ribs in place. Sakura proceeded in silence, just like him, carefully tying the bands around his bare torso and over his right shoulder. The absence of words or sounds in the room was overwhelming, not a grunt, a sigh or hearable breath. Simply dim grayish white light from the light-bulb hanging from the ceiling above them and their silence.

Sasuke stared at the ground; Sakura worked cautiously, perplexed by the lack of complaints from her comrade. He had not spoken a word since their encounter with the Raikage. It made her worry as always, that he was mad or upset because she had interfered in 'his' battle, but she remained focused on the task at hand instead of preoccupying herself with this. However, Sakura was done all too soon and she could do nothing but watch the obsidian eyes that she dreamt of at night refusing to meet her own.

Sakura was not very bold when it came to Sasuke, though maybe the hand that she let linger on his bandaged chest could not be interpreted as such. She felt his pulsating heart underneath her fingertips. It was beating loud, but steadily, calmly, a lot unlike her own after his next movement.

The young man brought his own hand up to rest on top of hers, making Sakura's cool vanish in half a second when his cold fingertips gripping hers in the slightest had a shiver running down her spine. The green eyed medic looked up to finally meet onyx orbs and tried to read them, though she soon found the task impossible and lost herself in the deep dark depths that she loved so.

Perhaps if Sakura had looked some more she would have found all the regret for his foolish actions earlier, for making her worry and putting her in danger, the self-loathing for being helpless to protect her, but also his honest gratitude, because without her things could have turned out much worse than they did. Perhaps she would have to wait longer until she could decipher these things and much more. Perhaps he would have to as well.

He eventually broke the news to her concerning Orochimaru, out of the blue maybe, but it felt like now was as good of a moment as any. There were no angry screams or tears, simply a widening of her beautiful emerald eyes as she stared intently into his. Boldly this time, Sakura let a quiet, shaky breath escape her lips as she dropped her head onto his shoulder next to where their hands were still chastely joined. She would not admit it aloud, not tell him for anything in the world, but it was because she was scared, more than a little, about her beloved's safety.

Sasuke didn't move, finding it useless to battle with his inner self at this instant. To signify his gratitude and reassure this very important person "Thank you" were the words he uttered softly.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _I kinda like the ending of this chapter although I had to edit it a lot. It feels a little bit different from my usual style, doesn't it?_

 _Anyway, thanks A LOT to my amazing reviewers, followers, favorites and readers! When I came back from my grand-parents', I found the number of views had gone from 900 to 11,000! This is so great! Thank you, guys! :D_

 _I hope you liked it and feel free to leave a review!_

 _:)_


	18. Part 4 - Chapter 18

_**FLY AWAY- Part 4: Looking**_

 _ **Chapter 18**_

"Nope, I've never seen this girl."

"I'll tell you what, she looks a bit like my adorable daughter…"

"Why would I lie to you? I don't know this chick!"

"I'm afraid I can't be of assistance."

"Wow, nice. I've never met her but I'd sure as hell like to, is she your sister or something, beauty?"

Sakura's grimace could almost pass as a stiff smile as she put the photograph of Haruko back into her item pouch. She could distinctively feel a burning, murderous Uchiha glare piercing through her back and directed to the man she was currently talking to. When she glanced back at Sasuke, the young medic had barely the time to catch him red handed, glowering like a starving wolf over its pray. Her smile relaxed and twisted into something closer to a wry grin at that as she turned to her interlocutor again "I'm not, sorry for bothering you."

Sakura trotted back towards her companion who was leaning against a nearby wall, arms crossed and bangs hiding his now downward gaze. Ever since she had heard of Orochimaru's threat three days ago, Sakura had been acting as cheerfully as possible around Sasuke in an attempt to both lift up his spirits and show him that she was still happy in spite of this menace. It was the truth after all, Sakura was always happy whenever Sasuke was with her, Orochimaru only made her worry… _a_ _bit_.

In all truth, when he had broken the news to her, her mind had entirely blanked, only to then fall victim under a violent, cold storm of thoughts. Sakura was rendered helpless. She had long grown up and become an accomplished kunoichi, but the snake sannin was…a nightmare. The man who had inflicted the worst imaginable pain on Sasuke, the one who had taken him away from her and from the Village's safety years ago, the one who had tried to twist his mind and take over his body…Sakura couldn't help feeling defenseless when she thought about it, just like she had been when she had first met Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. But strangely -or maybe more _accurately-_ questions such as _'How am I supposed to fight him?'_ and fears like _'What if he hurts Sasuke-kun? What if he kills me?'_ only strengthened Sakura's iron resolve to fight and protect her precious teammate. For this purpose, she would overcome her doubts at any cost.

The kunoichi observed the raven haired ninja in front of her, his chest rising up and down with his calm breath and his locks swaying lightly with the breeze. She sighed, but with a little smile nonetheless gracing her features "Still no luck, Sasuke-kun. I'm starting to wonder whether the ninjas who took Haruko really came here or not…"

Sasuke looked up at his teammate. He would appear unfazed by the lack of success of their mission to most, but the serious look he cast Sakura and his reply proved else "Maybe they didn't."

"Well, considering that they are supposed to be officials, it would be weird for them not to come back and report at the end of their mission" Sakura countered with a finger on her lips in thought.

Upon receiving no answer after a while, Sakura sighed again, more because of tiredness this time, and slumped against the wall next to Sasuke. This seemed to be a hopeless case. Even after three days of searching and asking all throughout Kumogakure, no trace whatsoever of Suiden's missing girl had been found by the two shinobis. Sasuke and Sakura had done everything they could despite the locals' inhospitable behavior. The only person they hadn't thought wise to question was Ay, the Raikage himself, and for good reasons.

Sakura brought a hand up to brush a few strands of hair out of her eyes and looked up at the sky. The day was hot even for an afternoon in April, and the beating sun forced Sakura to shield her eyes with her hand in order to watch the few, vaporous, white clouds drifting along the azure sky. Because of this fair weather, Sakura had chosen to wear her former jounin outfit with the short dress, knee warmers and simple ninja sandals. Both her and Sasuke had also discarded their cloaks, for once able to relish in the gentle feeling of the wind dancing along their hair, skin and clothes without worrying about catching a cold.

The Uchiha turned to his teammate and waited a minute to observe the smile slowly growing on her face before speaking "This is only an assumption…" Sasuke almost regretted to have ended this peaceful moment so abruptly when Sakura immediately whipped her head back at him. He directed his eyes ahead, watching nothing in particular "…perhaps these guys work independently from the Raikage and Kumo."

Sakura blinked, perplexed, so Sasuke waved off his idea "This is just a theory. We need more info anyway."

The pink haired girl kept her gaze on him. "You may be right Sasuke-kun, but we obviously won't find anything here" she stated.

A short silence fell between them, broken when Sasuke pushed himself off the wall, sighing as he turned to face the medic-nin "Do you want to stay here more?"

"No, it's okay" Sakura replied, though the Uchiha didn't miss the glint of joy in her eyes. She was probably pleased that he had asked, so Sasuke made a mental note to remember to do this every time in the future. "I don't mind leaving this unwelcoming place," the kunoichi continued "but where to?"

Sasuke shrugged, but Sakura nevertheless followed him eagerly back to their inn without questioning their destination any further. Wandering was in his nature after all, she would trust him on this. It wasn't long before they were walking side by side on the rocky path outside the Hidden Cloud Village, chatting idly from time to time, because neither wanted to be bothered by dark thoughts of a snake sannin on such a sunny and beautiful day. After a while the rocks surrounding the small path forced the two travelers to walk one behind the other, but when the road sloped down into a valley bordering a large river, the pink haired jounin eagerly trotted back to her companion's side, having difficulty to stand the silence imposed by their separation. Without him taking notice, a ghost of a smile appeared on Sasuke's lips. The scenery around them went by extremely fast until it was late in the afternoon and an orange glow sparkled atop the water of the large stream beside the shinobis as it danced and curled around high rocky mounts. Sasuke blinked and his walk slowed upon recognizing the familiar surroundings of Unrai, the region where he had 'captured' the eight tails' jinchuriki after he had enrolled in the Akatsuki.

"It's so pretty" an awed Sakura breathed out beside him. "Do you know this place Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah, I came here once before." He didn't add more details, and Sakura didn't ask for any. It had occurred to him a while ago that the medic tended to read him a lot more easily lately. Sasuke was rather surprised that he needn't voice his annoyance concerning certain topics of conversation or even his plans and thoughts; Sakura always seemed to understand without the necessity of words to be exchanged. Was it because they had somehow become closer after their clash with the Raikage? Was it a good thing? Sasuke didn't know, but he didn't find it that disturbing in most cases, if not at all.

Sakura had stopped walking before the young man even noticed that he had too. Seeing him silent on his spot, she had gone closer to the edge of the rocky platform where they currently were to observe the twinkling water more closely. Again, she had sensed that her companion wasn't troubled, and so instead of worrying about him, she had decided to give him space. Sasuke was amazed at her acuteness, but all the more by the beautiful golden glow of the sun lit water reflecting on her hair and delicate, tranquil visage.

The Uchiha cleared his throat -for some reasons uneasy- to catch his companion's attention "We should set camp here, there'll be no inn for miles."

"Ok" Sakura joyfully nodded. She made her way back to the center of the platform but halted abruptly in front of him "Wait, there's no wood around here. How are we going to make a camp fire?"

Eyes closed, Sasuke smirked lopsidedly and reopened them to reveal his mangekyou sharingan "I can deal."

Sakura giggled. They began installing their camp, Sasuke lighting up black flames that hovered a little above the ground to provide warmth, but unluckily little light, while the kunoichi was quietly humming an unknown tune as she unrolled her sleeping mat next to the face of the mountain. She was about to sit down on it, but quickly stood up again at the sight before her.

"Yo hey Hachi-san, people're here for company. Wouldn't of expected to see eyes so funny, yo!"

Such a strange demeanor and way of speaking, no more was needed to tell that this tall, extremely muscled black man who had just appeared at the end of the road was Killer Bee. He looked the same as when the two ninjas of the Leaf had last seen him, with sunglasses, short white hair like his 'brother', and this liking for weird rapping rhymes. Sakura and Sasuke couldn't help noticing the extremely large 'scaly' sword sheathed on his back along with his usual seven smaller blades. Sasuke instinctively stepped closer to his teammate, frowning, but not signaling any hostility towards the jinchuriki. He had no interest in picking a fight with Bee, especially after his encounter with the Raikage a few days prior.

"How rude yo," the rapper continued in his usual sing song tone "Not even gonna say hello, bakayarou, konoyarou!"

"A-ah, sorry" Sakura mumbled nervously under Sasuke's wary sidelong glance. "Good evening" she greeted nonetheless.

Bee shifted his arms before his face, making strange rhythmic gestures "Hey, you two are friends of Naruto, no?"

Sakura nodded then blinked as an idea struck her "Yes, maybe you could help us?" She said while rummaging through her bag.

The jinchuriki brought a hand up to scratch his chin in wonder when the kunoichi stepped closer to show him Haruko's picture "This girl went missing a few months ago and we heard that she was taken to the Lightning Country. Did you see her by any chance?" Sakura inquired.

Sasuke almost sighed. Sakura could be just like Naruto sometimes: she simply never gave up. It was a strong quality which, along with her constant optimism, he found himself envying more often than not. It really was helpful to have her smile and encourage him whenever he could only see the wrong sides of things, but Sasuke had a feeling that Sakura's smile hid much more than she let on, both positive and negative feelings alike. She had probably grown used to this. Although right now as Sasuke shook his head skeptically, he couldn't help feeling a little sorry for the medic about the likely negative answer she was going to…

"That rings a bell, yo! I've heard of her some time ago!~" Bee chanted as Sakura's face instantly lit up and Sasuke's almond shaped eyes gradually widened into round saucers.

"Really!?" Sakura rejoiced, hopeful "Can you tell us more?"

The rapper flashed the kunoichi a smirk while her eyes turned into shiny prisms similar to a begging puppy's. "Al-righ-ty!" Killer Bee exclaimed "You're lucky, but I haven't heard from Naruto for over a cen-tu-ry, so I'll tell you if you tell _me_! Yeah!"

Sakura blinked again to process the coded language of the eight tails' jinchuriki. "O-ok." And so she detailed all the news she had concerning Naruto to his old friend, looking back at Sasuke for approval a few times while he silently nodded. She even fished out the picture that she received on her birthday to illustrate her words and show the rapper that his former pupil was indeed perfectly happy. Bee almost seemed disappointed that Naruto was doing so well without him, but such thoughts were soon dismissed after Sakura promised to write about him to her blond teammate.

It was time for Killer Bee to honor his part of the contract. The two Leaf shinobis were surprised at first to see him turn his back to them, but it was only for him to spin around in an awkward dance move and start rapping again "Hey so this girl you showed me on the photo, I've heard of her from this weirdo, y'know? It was in my brotha's office when he chatted with the daimyou-oh!"

"The daimyou!?" Sakura repeated in shock. They were talking about the ruler of the country, not just some lowly kidnapper.

Killer Bee frowned, upset at being interrupted. He carried on after Sakura gave a quiet apology "I was listenin' in after this meetin', and this daimyou guy mentioned a girl. Brown hair, green eyes and freckles, yo. Just like that one on the photo-ho!"

"How can we be sure that it's the same girl?" Sasuke inquired, impassive as always. He would not build his hopes up like Sakura currently was. She could be a bit too optimistic at times.

Killer Bee was unimpressed "Said she was taken; from a village of the Fire! Around winter, five months ago, no longer!"

"Did you hear her name?" Came Sasuke's instant question.

The rapper seemed deep in thoughts, scratching his chin once again, but he quickly looked up with a groovy gesture of his free hand "Something that has to do with Spring, yo. Haru…Haruko! Bakayarou, konoyarou!"

Sakura let out an excited squeal at that "No way! That's her!" Her childish antics, Sasuke noted, were the only manifestation of her previously crushed hopes. People in all the places she had visited as of yet had provided her with nothing but negative answers. Therefore it was normal that her current joy would equal the amount of depressive thoughts she had experienced before. "Do you know anything else?" Sakura inquired eagerly.

Killer Bee nodded, oblivious to the impact his next remark would have on the cheerful pink haired medic "Yo, the girl was too young though, he said somethin' about marriage ho!"

The following few details that Killer Bee provided were enough for the dark thoughts assaulting Sakura's mind to be doubled in number and power for the remainder of the night.

~O~

It took the whole next –stormy- morning for the two shinobis to make it to the closest village, and the rest of the day to finally reach the small town near where their target's residence was situated. The place was about as big as the city in the Wave country where Inari and Tazuna lived, only the houses were all round in shape and sometimes elevated in the steep rocks of the neighboring cliffs. However, the area remained rather flat safe for a few little hills in the surroundings as the town itself was located in some sort of small valley. Sasuke and Sakura had decided it safer to stay here for the time being, although the daimyou's son's residence was beyond these hills about half a kilometer away.

Indeed, their 'target' happened not to be the daimyou himself but his son, a young man in his mid-twenties reputed all around the country for his strong liking in women. This trait was common knowledge for those who read the 'people' colon of newspapers from time to time in the Lightning nation -those who didn't had to hear about it from others. Therefore it was no wonder that even Killer Bee who spent the majority of his time in Kumo or isolated with his body-guards in Unrai would know about such rumors. The information concerning Haruko however, had yet to become public. It was only thanks to the rapper's sheer luck that he had been able to inform the two Leaf shinobis of the girl's current situation.

Haruko was only fifteen years old when she was kidnapped a few months prior and taken to the Lightning Country. This fact, at first disregarded, had soon become a hindrance to the young man who had ordered her capture. Indeed, majority had been set at age sixteen in the Lightning Country, making it the youngest age out of all the other shinobi nations. This was due to an old request made by the Third Raikage to the daimyou in order to increase the number of fighters during the war. This strategy had proven successful in enabling young shinobis to enlist in the Lightning's armed forces without their parents' necessary consent and therefore increasing the country's striking power. However this measure had also involved changes concerning voting rights as well as the allowance of marriage to teenagers.

Therefore, Haruko being too young to be wed without her tutors' agreement, the ceremony had been delayed until she reached the proper age six months after her capture -about a week away from present day.

Killer Bee had also been able to tell Sasuke and Sakura about the outstanding guards the daimyou's son possessed. They were actually a part of his father's twelve guardian shinobis and some of the most skilled ninjas of the country. Apart from that, a few testimonies and pieces were still missing in this puzzle: What were the daimyou's son's motivations? Why choose a random country girl to be his bride? Was she taken away from Suiden willingly, or was it really a kidnapping? The problem was now to answer all these questions. In the span of a day, Sasuke's tactical spirit had come to his aid and helped evaluate the possibilities. A few conclusions were reached, but nothing extraordinarily bright. Sakura had done much the same, although the one possibly good idea she had managed to find tended to take too much space in her head, making it impossible for her to think of anything better. The more she pondered it, the more she realized it was probably their best chance though…Sasuke would not like it…and neither would she.

Now a day after their meeting with Killer Bee, Sakura and Sasuke were walking aimlessly in the unpaved streets of the small city. The comfortable and joyful spirit of the other day was long gone as they were both engulfed in their own plans and tangles of thoughts. Instead of light-hearted chatter, they began discussing serious matters.

"I think we both agree." It was Sasuke who first broke the silence, which made Sakura instantly look up in mild-surprise. He continued in his usual low tone, not minding the busy crowd in the streets around them in the least "We have to investigate more thoroughly, and to do so our best option is…"

"An infiltration" Sakura finished for him. Sasuke nodded.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _I'm so glad to be back here! Why, you ask? Because I found myself unable to login for about a week. Can anyone tell me if I was the only one with that problem? There's also this stupid thing about the 'view counter' (dunno what it's called) that decided to stop counting..._

 _Oh well, I guess I'm still a newbie here after all.^_^"_

 _About this chapter: I said "wandering is in his nature" because Sasuke's theme "Hyouhaku" means 'wandering' in japanese :) Also, Killer Bee's rapping was so hard to write! Remember that I am NOT an English person and am NOT fluent just yet._

 _=I hope you liked this chapter but, as you might have guessed, this Part 4 was really a transition before the next big arc. About that, I decided to warn readers just in case that I will change the rating to M in the next arc, I'll tell you exactly at which point. Be assured however, that this is mostly a safety measure. _

_Thanks to all my readers, followers and reviewers for their support! Thanks in particular to eliimg and DiaG14 for her song "The Healing" that I didn't know (indeed the lyrics do fit the second part of the chapter, although I pictured this scene as perfectly silent. Thanks for making me know a new band and song!)._

 _Until next time (and hopefully I'll be able to login on time) ! ;)_


	19. Part 5 - Chapter 19

_**FLY AWAY- Part 5 : The Mission**_

 _ **Chapter 19**_

An infiltration, yes. Seek answers from within enemy territory and establish the most accurate plan from the gathered information. This was one of the ninja's basic skills. Rather than simply sneaking in though, it would be more practical to go under cover in this case. But the question was _how_?

As always, Sasuke was not keen on putting Sakura in danger, especially knowing that this time they were dealing with one of the Lightning Country's most important figures. Although this guy was no brilliant diplomat, it was safe to consider anyone linked by blood to the daimyou as a big fish. Consequently, harming this guy meant _big_ trouble. After the war, Sakura's name had stayed in many shinobis' memories as a strong-willed, just kunoichi, which she was; but then, how could Sasuke hope not to taint her reputation if they were to retrieve this man's bride? The solution to this problem would be to lead the operation on his own but…she wouldn't like it…and neither would he.

What bothered Sasuke the most with this wasn't having to leave Sakura on the sidelines –it was safer for her anyway, even if he had to face her fury later on- it was the fact that he certainly wouldn't make it out of this situation unscathed either. The name 'Uchiha' sounded like plague to most people in the Lightning Country, even more than in any other part of the world, so to think that he would have to assume the burden of taking away the daimyou's son's fiancée… Sasuke knew he wasn't necessarily in the wrong here, for the girl might have really been taken against her will and was maybe about to be wed by force, but the young Uchiha certainly would not have the upper hand if this story were to become public -no one would be on his side and the road to redemption would only lengthen.

So naturally, the thought of simply giving up had come to Sasuke's mind the previous night when he had been observing the kidnapper's huge residence from a tree. The daimyou's son lived in a fortress, nothing less, made of gray, thick, high, walls. The presence of windows, balconies and such features failed to make the place more decorated or the slightest bit welcoming as they were all square-shaped, plain and sad looking. This sight alone promised nothing appealing to Sasuke who had been watching the shifts of the guards at the gates. Indeed, giving up was pretty tempting…This girl he was supposed to rescue was just one victim among thousands of others in the world, and what did he have to win by doing this? The gratitude of Suiden's people? As if…

These were the thoughts he shared with Sakura that night in their petrol-lamp lit hotel room. It was a rare thing for him really, and to say that the medic was surprised to see him speak his mind –to _her_ on top of it- was an understatement. The moon was descending in the heavens that were turning a pale shade of orange with the approaching of dawn. Even when Sasuke was watching the sky through the window, he knew for sure that his companion was drinking his every word. He could tell that much from her religious silence and her slightly agape mouth once, after he was done explaining, he turned back to face her. However, Sakura's jaw soon tightened just like her grip on the red covers of her bed where she was seated. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this, though he couldn't deny that he had kind of expected the following reaction.

Sakura jumped from the bed and crossed the room towards her companion with heavy footfalls on the stone, carpet-less floor, neither minding the cold on her bare feet or the rough cement scraping at her skin. Once she was in front of Sasuke, Sakura made to point her finger in a scolding way at him, but thought better of it and settled her hands on her hips instead: the official sign that she was deeply annoyed.

"Look Sasuke-kun," the pink haired girl started in a half-grumble "I'm trying to put this nicely since it was so kind of you to tell me about your thoughts, but really, I can't." The storm began after this more or less calm introduction. Raising her voice, the kunoichi was sure to wake up at least the entire population of the hotel, if not of the whole town. But this was Sakura Haruno, there was no way she would care about such futile details when her lecture was so important. "Firstly, how dare you imply to leave me out of this mission? I am just as involved as you! I was in Suiden just like you and I want to do something for Haruko! Gosh, Sasuke, how could you think of letting her go knowing her situation!? She's probably about to get married to some filthy pervert and she's only sixteen! We have to do something since we actually **can**! I swear I don't know what's holding me back, Naruto would have punched you by now!"

Sakura paused to catch her breath, letting out a quiet 'shannaro' behind clenched teeth that didn't go unnoticed by the Uchiha. Sasuke had remained stone-faced during her outburst. He wondered _'Is it over already?'_ He had known her nastier.

"Seriously Sasuke-kun…" The young man gazed back at her, noting the return of the usual suffix after his name. Sakura looked down for a second before she returned her trust-filled emerald eyes to his obsidian ones "Don't you want to help Haruko at least a little?"

He had not been expecting such a question and wasn't able to help the slight surprise flashing ephemerally in his usually imperturbable coal orbs. Sasuke hadn't initiated this quest; it was Sakura who had suggested that they looked around in search of the girl that Suiden's people missed so badly. Even so…

Sasuke turned a little towards the window without facing away completely from Sakura. His gaze got lost in the stars fading from the clearing sky as he declared "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

He could relate to these people in Suiden -because they missed someone dearly and thought they would never see her again, because they surrendered to hatred, because they had turned to revenge to lessen this unbearable pain. Sakura was also dead set on helping this girl -maybe Haruko was the one she could relate to- and who was Sasuke to refuse helping his team mate when his intention in bringing her with him on his journey had been to atone for her past tears? These were two reasons why he wanted to help Haruko, presumably enough.

~O~

And so now, standing under a tree, the two were appeared to be talking idly to anyone who might have looked their way. It was what they were aiming for: nobody would suspect that they were discussing the details of their target's fortress's defenses in a normal town the middle of the afternoon.

Sasuke's voice wasn't a whisper, but not too loud either as a measure of security "There's only one shift during the night at half past midnight." The raven haired shinobi had been watching the fortress the whole previous day after he and Sakura had reached the agreement that they needed to infiltrate the place to find Haruko. The activity in itself had not proven really exciting but the info obtained was still good to have. Sasuke carried on explaining "During the day, the two guards at the entrance leave at midday sharp and are replaced ten minutes later by a second squad. There's also another door at the back but there's only one guard and he doesn't move from there until the midnight shift."

"What, really?" Sakura couldn't help but ask, bewildered. Sasuke only replied with a shrug so she waved it off. The medic hadn't wasted her time twiddling her thumbs either and had questioned people all around town while being careful to not appear too suspicious. What she had managed to gather was not much, but could still be of some use. "Well, apparently the guards that you saw aren't the real deal" she enlightened "These are not even shinobis, you must have noticed. The ones that Killer Bee mentioned always stay inside the fortress and rarely ever go out. The last time they were seen was just about six months ago…coincidence? We already know that three men were sent to kidnap Haruko, but there might be some more skilled shinobis by the daimyou's son's side." Sakura paused for a moment to study the look of interest Sasuke was giving the grass at their feet. She knew he was listening, though he certainly wasn't showing it. Suppressing a short sigh, Sakura continued "Lastly, I learnt that a couple of normal guards are sent to town every week to select a bunch of girls and bring them to the daimyou's son. People here don't know that he's engaged but even so they think it's gross, and I have to agree with them but…" Sakura glanced up at her companion again to notice that he had crossed his arms over his chest and directed his gaze straight ahead of him, unblinking: he was thinking.

The pink haired kunoichi sighed. Was her information that bad? It had not seemed so to her. She had also carefully omitted the rumors about their target's favorite dish or…bed hobbies… It didn't seem relevant to go into further explanation about the guards' mission considering Sasuke's low attention potential right then. Sakura announced "End of report." Even with this poor joke he didn't move, so she took it as her cue. There was something she had to do and who knew when she would be able to prepare if she didn't seize this moment?

Unable to suppress her nervousness, Sakura squirmed away from the tree trunk she had been leaning on and in front of Sasuke. She fumbled with her hands in her lap and had a light shade of pink painting her cheeks as she struggled to keep herself from stuttering "I-I'll be off now, I have something to check. I'll tell you if I find something new." Sasuke had barely the time to resurface from his thoughts and register her words before she disappeared among the crowd with a wave.

This was the perfect opportunity to set his plan into action. He had already pretty much guessed that the real guardians were inside the fortress by the target's side, so there had only been a few details to finalize. But now that he had had the confirmation thanks to Sakura's information, he was perfectly set and ready to go. It would be risky, but he had to do it while Sakura was away or she would start scolding him again like the previous night. This was for her own good and after all, it would be no problem for him to contact her with a hawk or a tiny snake later on.

Sasuke had no weapons on himself except for his trusty katana sheathed safely on his back when he landed on the tree branch he had occupied the previous day, the one that overlooked the daimyou's son's fortress.

~O~

"Yue, have you seen Ryokai-sama?" A tall black man with two carefully red and white painted wooden staffs on his back inquired.

He was addressing a woman at the other side of the large white tiled room. Her long silver tresses were put up in a high ponytail that reached her lower back and she wore a dark red tunic with the net stockings and arm warmers that kunoichis favored. Her lips and her eye shadow like her clothes were a dark cherry red.

The woman called Yue got off the pillar she had been leaning on and turned to face her colleague before answering in a cool voice that echoed in the room like in a church "I just sent a guard to get him. He should be here in time."

The room where the two were currently talking was fairly large and white, with a ceiling high of at least eight meters. Two impressive oak doors stood on each opposite end of this room. One was the door leading to the entrance while the other –closest to the two guardians- led to the lord's living room. Therefore, as some sort of lobby, the room was in the shape of a rectangle, similar to an oversized corridor with its multiple white, Greek styled columns and marble floor. On the walls behind the columns, symmetrical, long windows let the daylight filter into the room, but it was nothing compared to the light provided by the huge crystal chandelier hung in the center of the ceiling.

Just as the black man with the staffs was about to protest about his lord's lateness, the sound of the living room door's handle resounded across the 'lobby'. Instantly the two ninjas turned and gave a bow of their heads to greet their master who entered the room loudly.

"Now now, Matsui. What is it that you so wanted to tell me?" The daimyou's son, Ryokai, was a young man with thoroughly tanned skin who would have been judged attractive by any woman's standards. He was tall but not gigantic, his face was angular and masculine but not pointy, his dark maroon eyes were round but not too big or toad like, his waist appeared thin under a loose, fashionable blue shirt and his built not too muscled but not nearly fat; his hair was short, platinum blond to the point of looking almost white and very shiny, a sign of regular care. In short, he looked like any other good-looking bachelor, not the vicious pervert he was rumored to be.

At his side stood another man, white and rather short compared to his master. His thickset form and brown hair squashed to the sides of his face under the woolen hat with a pompon that he wore didn't let on that he was a shinobi in any way. What betrayed him were the large item pouches that took all the space on the sides of his brown leather belt.

The staff wielder Matsui didn't dare let the silence last one more second in his master's presence and immediately answered Ryokai's inquiry "Ryokai-sama, I have not been able to find any proof as of yet but…"

"Tell me already" the daimyou's son complained, displaying the impatience Matsui knew him for.

"Pardon me, my lord" the shinobi bowed his head once more. "I wanted to inform you that Yue and I felt an unusual chakra inside the palace."

Ryokai lifted a brow and tilted his head, grimacing. "Eh?" He turned to the guard who had accompanied him to join the other two in wonder "Did you feel it too, Seichi?"

The thickset man scratched his chin and squeezed his eyes shut in thought "Hmm…Now that you mention it…I can't localize it precisely but…"

Ryokai's eyes widened, in fear at first, but maybe also in excitement after a second "Well, what are you waiting for? Find the intruder!"

"No need."

The three guardian shinobis and their master turned in surprise at the sound of the deep masculine voice who had interrupted their conversation. They all looked up at the huge chandelier above their heads from which it had originated, but upon inspection, they were able to catch but the brisk movement of a black clothed silhouette. The stranger plummeted down towards the marble floor in a graceful jump and landed perfectly safe with the ease and agility of a tightrope walker in front of his audience. Silence engulfed the group as they took in the looks of this unknown young man. Dark clothes, dark sword, dark hair and eyes, bandages covering his left hand.

He stood proudly in front of them, a serious look and blank expression plastered on his face as he announced "I am Sasuke Uchiha, and I came to offer you my services."

"My lord!" The three guardians's cries melded into one as they all reacted instantly upon hearing this name. Yue and Matsui stepped back in front of their master while Seichi drew two axes from his pouches at lightning's speed and threw them nimbly at the intruder.

Despite the speed of the attack, Sasuke remained perfectly composed and merely bent down to avoid the weapon's trajectory. He stood back straight after the axes passed him and admired in mild awe as they flew all the way to other side of the room and planted themselves into the wooden door of the entrance. The distance far exceeded sixty meters. _'Not half bad'_ the raven haired shinobi thought, still poker faced as he turned back to his attackers. "So you've heard about me."

The three ninja guardians clenched their teeth and narrowed their eyes at Sasuke while their befuddled master gazed from one to the other in surprise. He attempted to push the two in front of him at a more comfortable distance "Matsui, Yue, what's the meaning of this?"

"This man is dangerous, Ryokai-sama" the silver haired kunoichi replied sternly. "He is a former criminal and has caused much harm to our country."

"Is that so? I haven't heard of him before…" Ryokai mused aloud. He couldn't deny that the powerful aura surrounding Sasuke felt more threatening than any of his guardians' -not to mention the fact that none of them had been able to detect him precisely when he had sneaked into the fortress unnoticed by the guards.

"You said it yourself," Sasuke suddenly spoke, calm, blank as always "I've been laying low for a while and you obviously don't know anything about the 'harm' you're talking about."

Yue's jaw only tightened, while the daimyou's son wondered "And why exactly do you want to serve me?"

"Ryokai-sama!" the two male guardians immediately protested against their master's imprudence.

Sasuke was surprised at how easy this all was. "I am on the road to redemption, I have been ever since the end of the war" he explained seriously before eying the three shinobis before him "As you have noticed, my reputation in this country is far from good. Hence, I wish to protect you, the daimyou's son, as a means of repentance." Sasuke had tried to sound honest since part of his speech held truth, but speaking in such a falsely polite tone was really out of character for him and he hoped that his Uchiha façade had served him right during that last part.

Ryokai seemed half convinced. Good thing that he hadn't known of Sasuke's reputation beforehand, it surely played in the young ninja's favor now. With a hand on his chin, Ryokai inquired "Why didn't you go to my father instead of me? You would probably be forgiven more easily if you became one of his guards."

Sasuke had expected this question and long prepared the appropriate answer "I simply thought you would be more open to listen and understand."

Ryokai lifted a brow and tried to partly cover his wide smirk with the hand on his chin. It seemed that like any narcissistic man, Ryokai liked compliments quite a lot. Sasuke silently praised himself for this appropriate choice of tactic. With this, his 'job interview' was almost wrapped up. Now there was one more thing that he was sure the daimyou's son would ask of him before he had his trust.

"Alright then, fair enough" Ryokai exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Now I want you to show me what you're worth! Matsui, Yue, Seichi, entertain our guest, will you?"

"Master!?" Yue turned to face him, flabbergasted like the other two.

"It's an order. I don't want any worthless guardian after all. Besides if he's strong enough, I'm sure father will be impressed." Ryokai went to sit on the white stairs next to the door he had come from earlier. He propped his elbow on his knee and positioned his chin on his hand, eager to watch the show begin. "Just try not to wreck the place!"

The guardians stared in silence for a moment. Yue was the first to turn back to their opponent with an almost inaudible gulp. "Very well" she hissed under her breath.

She gave a stern look to her companions and both nodded in understanding, immediately adopting a battle stance. Seichi stepped back beside Yue, something Sasuke had expected since he seemed to be a long range fighter. It was also easy to deduce that the black man with the staffs advancing towards him was more into melee and would assume the vanguard. The only one he hadn't been able to 'analyze' yet was the silver haired woman, Yue's fighting style, although he had a feeling that this weaponless kunoichi would definitely surprise him at some point.

Matsui had unsheathed his first staff -the longest one- as he stood about four meters away from Sasuke who studied him bare-handed. The raven haired ninja's tactical spirit was already at work _'He has a strong musculature so either he wields a particularly heavy staff, either he is the powerful type of attacker. In any case, I can overpower him with my speed.'_

Matsui dove at Sasuke. He began with a tsuki thrust using the pointed end of his staff, which the Uchiha swiftly evaded, and then chained with a backhand strike. As he used both of his hands for this lateral blow, Sasuke speedily drew his sword to parry the attack. Unsurprisingly, it was a rough blow, which confirmed the Leaf ninja's earlier second theory. Sasuke smirked as Mastui kept assaulting him with heavy attacks. This fighting style was the easiest to counter for Sasuke; he needn't even activate his sharingan.

However, Matsui didn't seem discouraged in the least by the lack of effectiveness of his assaults. His concentrated expression drew a deep frown to his face as beads of sweat ran down his temple. Matsui bent down and gave a low one-handed swipe of his staff aimed at Sasuke's legs. The Uchiha agilely jumped to avoid it but couldn't hide his shock at what followed.

With his other hand, Matsui drew his second staff in barely a moment's notice to reveal the sharp silver blade at its end. He had purposefully made his opponent jump so that he couldn't dodge his next attack. Indeed, Sasuke was still in the air right in front of Matsui when the older man quickly aimed his spear at his neck -Sasuke's eyes widened in astonishment at such display of speed.

The 'clang' of two blades roughly meeting echoed in the room as Sasuke blocked the attack with his kusanagi at the very last second. He jumped back a few meters away and narrowed his eyes that had instinctively turned blood red. He needed to get serious.

"So you really are… an Uchiha" Matsui said between pants. He had doubted the young man's words until then but now had certain proof before him.

Sasuke huffed in annoyance but couldn't reply as he felt a threat coming from his left. The sharingan had warned him just in time to dodge the fuuma shuriken that was thrown at him. Not giving Sasuke any time to recover, Matsui immediately lunged back at him, now attacking way faster than before with both of his weapons.

All the while, Seichi -who had thrown the fuuma shuriken- kept assaulting Sasuke using various throwing weapons from shuriken and kunai to long daggers and axes. What was truly impressive was that he managed to time his attacks to complement Matsui's perfectly while never hitting the staff wielder. Sasuke had much difficulty warding off all the projectiles and dodging Matsui's strikes at the same time, but he managed to stay unharmed by side-stepping a lot and turning around the melee fighter to disorient him. Needless to say that someone without the sharingan would have never managed to remain unscathed under such conditions.

Sasuke kept blocking, side-stepping, bending down and soon found himself fed up with this situation. Ryokai was clapping by then, shouting "Magnificent!" in glee every two minutes. Sasuke had had his fun and already given quite the show to the daimyou's son so now he needed to finish this fight.

The Uchiha leaped about four meters back and used one of the pillars of the room to be covered from Seichi's long range attacks. He was close enough to the stairs where Seichi stood and Matsui was already charging his way. Sasuke got out of the pillar's shade and extended both his arms to point at the two men.

"Chidori Eisou!"

Two spears of lightning emerged from Sasuke's hands and went straight at the astounded guardians. Matsui tried to block with his staff as he didn't have the time to stop his run while Seichi helplessly rummaged through his pouches for a particular item. Sasuke's chidori spear left a slit in Matsui's staff as it cut through it and into his shoulder. The black man cried out in pain when Sasuke divided the main spear into a multitude of smaller blades that pierced through his flesh. Matsui was brought to his knees, letting the staff in his injured arm fall from his grip in a loud clatter against the marble floor.

The staff wielder looked up, intending to stand and continue to fight, however, he immediately realized his mistake once he met Sasuke's gaze straight on. The sharingan pierced into his soul and did much more damage than the lightning spear earlier -Matsui's eyes widened in shock before he fell numb on the floor.

Sasuke turned to his other opponent and was surprised to see him still standing, aghast, with Yue a bit further beside him. Her hands were forming a hand sign that Sasuke easily recognized as the one used for fuuton techniques but he could see no attack coming at him. It was upon further inspection of the stunned Seichi that he finally understood.

"I see, so that's what you can do" Sasuke mused, a sly smirk playing on his lips.

Yue whipped her head towards him, her teeth tightly clenched and her brows knitted, although Sasuke could distinctively see the confusion written in her eyes that she was trying so desperately to conceal. "You should know" he said "that the sharingan can see chakra in all forms."

Only Sasuke could notice the wall of blue chakra that Yue had created in front of Seichi. It appeared clearly thanks to his doujutsu, although it was without doubt invisible to all the others around him –which explained Seichi's utter surprise. _'Judging by the hand sign she made, this is a fuuton technique, probably one with very concentrated wind that forms an invisible wall'_ Sasuke analyzed _'If I touch this, my skin will get torn off for sure, and I can't counter it using lightning techniques. Katon won't work either…'_

The young Uchiha didn't get more time to review his options as Yue suddenly made a large gesture with her arm and her invisible wall came flying through the air towards him. Sasuke rapidly rolled out of the way before it could reach him, only to have axes thrown at him the moment he stood back up. He parried with a lightning infused slash of his sword and literally cut the weapons in two.

"Wow! Amazing!" Cheered Ryokai as he clapped even louder.

Sasuke decided he had to end things with Seichi first, so he rapidly formed the tiger's hand sign. "Katon: Housenka no jutsu!"

Multiple small fireballs hurled towards Seichi like comets. He realized he didn't have time to bring out a shield from his item pouch and clumsily dove to the side to avoid the attack. As he rolled and ended up on all fours, he had barely the time to feel the current of air that came with Sasuke's sudden appearance behind him before everything turned black.

Sasuke had hit Seichi at the base of his neck to knock him unconscious. Under Ryokai's enthusiastic applause, he turned back to the kunoichi left a small way further to his side. Sasuke prepared his katana to charge and…

"RYOKAI-SAMA!"

He and the two remaining shinobis froze to look at the opposite side of the room where a group of men had burst through the entrance, probably freaked out after noticing the axes planted into the door. Sasuke recognized the plain blue ranger uniform worn by the guards of the fortress, noting the golden metal piece on the chest pocket of the one in the front who shouted "Ryokai-sama! Are you alright?"

The daimyou's son got up from his spot and dusted himself off as he climbed down the stairs "Yes, yes of course. I haven't had so much fun in a while actually!"

Another guard asked loudly "Who is this man, my lord? An intruder!?"

"No, silly!" Ryokai reprimanded. He gave a pleased wink to the Uchiha as he added "This is Sasuke, my brand new guardian."

' _Mission success'_ Sasuke thought as he rapidly shook off his disgust and nodded at his 'master'. The look on Yue's face was simply priceless.

"Now if you'd please show me what I've been waiting for all afternoon! You sure took your time!" Ryokai continued, addressing the guard.

The uniformed man mumbled an apology and ordered his two subordinates to follow him further into the room towards their master. Sasuke observed with mild surprise as they guided a group of about fifteen young women inside. Most -if not all- had their faces caked with makeup and wore _very_ revealing clothes, indecently showing off their chests and putting their legs on display. _'That's what Sakura was talking about earlier'_ the raven haired young man recalled. But just as this thought occurred to him, Sasuke's eyes suddenly turned as wide as saucers. The group of women was now barely five meters away from him and he could clearly spot an unmistakable tinge of pink hair among them. _'No this is impossible. It must be someone else, it can't be…'_

And then she looked up, and large emerald green eyes stared back at him.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Ta-dah! Was this too expectable? Oh well..._

 _I know I say it everytime, but it's very important to me to thank you all for your support! Reviews, favorites, follows and views just make my day! :D_

 _For this chapter I created a few more OCs, but because they were high rank shinobis (I'd place them around jounin level), I had to find them some cool abilities. I hope you liked it! Here's a little more info about that:_

 _Matsui is a proficient staff/sword user. He can use any style (either fast or powerful) to overcome an ennemy. What he lacks in ninjutsu and gentjutsu, he makes up with outsanding stamina and tactics such as surprising his opponent by swiftly switching fighting styles._

 _Seichi is a bukijutsu (weapon) master. He specializes in throwing weapons because he lacks agility (with his thickset silhouette)._

 _Yue is rendered powerful by her unique fuuton ability. Because in the Lightning Country most shinobis use Raiton techniques, her rare fuuton proficiency proves deadly against opponents of her own nation. She is fast, but lacks striking power in taijustu, which is why she prefers long range combat._

 _Here you go! I hope you'll be looking forward for more, until then, please let me know what you thought of this chapter as the beginning of a new arc!^_^_


	20. Part 5 - Chapter 20

_**FLY AWAY- Part 5 : The Mission**_

 _ **Chapter 20**_

Emerald green. It was _that_ emerald green. The one that shone brighter with life and love for him than any other.

Sakura was staring right back at Sasuke in the white hall of Ryokai's fortress.

The Uchiha tried to cover up his shock as best as he could while his eyes stayed glued on his teammate's form. Like the other women she had come with, Sakura had opted for revealing clothing consisting of a short red kimono with a crane, fan and lotus pattern that reached barely past her rear. Not to mention that the collar hung on her shoulders widely open to give a large view of her neckline as well as not so subtly hint at her cleavage. What served as her obi was actually more of a pink satin corset with black lace and ribbons like those you can find in lingerie shops. She also had stockings -white, with the same pink lotuses as on her kimono on her thighs- that were held in place using garter belts. Sasuke noted a few details like her white bootees, the black arm warmers under the sleeves of her kimono and the special cherry blossom flower pendant that she always wore. The fact that she had put her hair up with a bead decorated comb really changed Sakura's appearance compared to what Sasuke was used to. The bangs on the sides of her face remained, but her features were greatly highlighted, thanks to which Sasuke noticed that she had concealed the strength of a hundred seal on her forehead with makeup, had added rose colored eye shadow on her eyelids to make her beautiful green eyes stand out, and pink lipstick on her lips so that they had become shiny and very appealing.

As Sakura tried to suppress her blush and turned her head to the side, Sasuke tore his gaze away from her to quickly put his mask back on. The worst would be for Ryokai and Yue to figure out that he knew the pink haired young woman, but he didn't want to be caught staring at Sakura when she was so hardly clothed either in fear that she'd make him pay for it later. Something was bothering him terribly though: _'What on Earth is she doing here among these women!?'_ Sasuke knew the precise answer to this question, but he would never want to admit it.

"Oooh! You found nice ones this time guys!" Ryokai praised the his men cheerfully as he observed the girls lining up before him and rubbed his hands against each other. "Okay hmm…I think I know you, so won't you start introducing yourself to show the others?" He said, pointing to a brunette at the right end of the line.

The young woman wearing a black leather corsage and mini-skirt stepped forward and bowed to Ryokai before speaking in a low, supposedly enticing tone "I'm Fumie, twenty-one years old. I already came twice so maybe you recall that I wear 100D, and you should know that I'm no longer a virgin."

"Actually… I don't think I remember you" Ryokai muttered. Fumie looked absolutely dejected with her ridiculous puffy red mouth hung wide open. Anyway, moving on!" The daimyou's son urged the next girl to talk.

Sasuke didn't want to hear all that. At first he had thought that Ryokai looked and acted nowhere close to a pervert, but this 'introduction ceremony' definitely proved him wrong. The young Uchiha was turned to the living room door as all the girls introduced themselves but he couldn't go as far as to cover his ears, so of course he had to hear about Izumi, Keiko and a few other's measurements… And then, what had to happen, happened.

"M-my name is Sakuya" said a sweet voice that Sasuke would have recognized anywhere. He tried to focus on the fact that Sakura had changed her name but was forced to listen to the rest. "I'm twenty years old and I…m-my size is…"

"Aw, would you look at that! She's all shy and blushing! 'S been a while since I last had someone like that!" Ryokai rejoiced, staring at the helpless pink haired girl. Unbeknown to him, Sasuke had his fists balled tightly at his sides and murderous ideas flooding mind. "Go on, cutie. I'm all ears!" The daimyou's son encouraged.

Sakura was almost completely red at this point. Having to say such things in front of a stranger was one thing, but to do it when Sasuke was right there! She too clenched her fists tightly and finally declared "I wear 90B, and I…I'm a virgin."

"See, it wasn't that hard, dear!" Ryokai exclaimed, winking.

Sasuke didn't know what was preventing him from murdering the man right then and there.

Ryokai stood up from the stairs where he had been sitting and suddenly announced "Well, I think that'll be enough! So I choose Kaoru and our cute little Sakuya for now!" Sasuke noticed the spark of determination that flickered in Sakura's eyes at that, but it was gone instantly after she caught his gaze and blushed an even darker red than her kimono's tint. Ryokai carried on talking, this time addressing the guards who stood snickering quietly in a corner "Gentlemen, I'll let you accompany the others back to town."

The gloomy women were dragged outside the fortress by the guards, leaving Sasuke, Yue, Ryokai, Kaori and 'Sakuya' alone with the unconscious bodies of Matsui and Seichi still on the floor.

"Oh right! I almost forgot about that!" The daimyou's son eyed his fallen guardians with mild disgust before turning to Yue "I'll let you take care of these two, you can call the guards for help if you need to. As for you Sasuke…" He seemed deep in thoughts for a moment, but suddenly perked up and said "I'll have you relieve my fourth guardian, Rentarou of his functions so he can stay by my side. You'll find him in the west wing on the fourth floor guarding Haruko's room. Ask a maid or a guard if you have to. Oh and, take this" he fished out a notepad and a pen from his pants' pocket, rapidly scribbled something on the front page and handed it to Sasuke "otherwise Rentarou won't believe I sent you."

Both Sasuke and Sakura jumped when Ryokai mentioned 'Haruko's room'. This seemed too good to be true, but Sasuke still asked "Shall I stay in Rentarou's place to guard that room?"

"Yeah, sure" Ryokai nodded as he walked towards the two girls he had picked. "Why else would I ask you to go all the way up there? Now go and stay there until I tell you to leave."

Sasuke nodded in return, but had difficulty not to glare once Ryokai turned his back to him and encircled Sakura and the other girl's waist with his arms. He stole one last glance at his teammate, clenched his teeth tightly, almost painfully, and then left through the living room doors.

What had Sakura been thinking when she had decided to come here and go through the casting to become this pervert's private doll!? She despised this kind of man, and she hated even more to be unable to put them back in their place! So to think that she chose to do this herself… _'Is she stupid!? I could have managed just fine on my own! Now she's gone and put herself into this mess…The way he looked at her like she was a piece of meat…'_ Sasuke was fuming, maybe just as much as when he had questioned Danzo on the Samurai Bridge years ago. He was _mad_ , so very mad it was eating him alive. _'She is just so_ _ **annoying**_ _.'_

He had to keep himself in check. He could do nothing right now; and that was precisely what angered him so much. Sasuke HAD to protect Sakura, it was simply his instinct and he could hardly strive against it. But in this situation it was obvious that he couldn't go back and strangle the daimyou's son like he had done in Kiri. The only thing Sasuke was able to do was hope for Sakura to be alright until he could join up with her, after all, she was a strong kunoichi. But then again if she didn't want to blow her cover…

"Damn!" Sasuke cursed behind gritted teeth as he headed up to the fourth floor of the west wing.

He would have to wait to talk to Sakura and sort it all out. For now, he needed to focus on his mission: Haruko.

Once on the fourth floor, it was no difficulty finding the right room considering that a large red haired man was guarding the door in the middle of the gray corridor. Convincing Rentarou to leave his post took longer, though Ryokai's note was an irrefutable argument and the guardian was eventually forced to admit defeat. Now alone in front of the oaken door beyond which his target surely was, Sasuke was analyzing his possibilities: He could burst in the room, take the girl and go pick up Sakura so they could flee immediately; or he could play it safer and simply inform Haruko of their situation instead of blowing his cover. This last plan –his original one- seemed the best since it would spare him the trouble of being hunted down by the daimyou's men and hated for the rest of his life in the whole Lightning Country. On the other hand, the first would enable him to save Sakura from the pervert's claws in no time.

It wouldn't have appeared a hard choice to most, but Sasuke pondered on it for a good ten minutes in front of Haruko's door before finally making up his mind. He would come in, inform Haruko of what she needed to know, and go find Sakura. This was the safest way, no matter how much he disliked the thought of leaving his teammate even for just half an hour or so with the daimyou's son.

Now there was one problem: the door was obviously locked and Sasuke had no idea how to open it. He was more used to breaking through doors rather than to pick their locks. The raven haired shinobi didn't even have a pin or a nail to try and do so anyway. It took him a while, but Sasuke finally found the idea of looking through the keyhole and into Haruko's room. By chance, he could see some sort of vase inside; no sooner had he set his gaze on it that he had taken its place on a table.

Sasuke quickly leapt down to silence the girl seated on the bed beside him who was about to scream. As his rinnegan disappeared from his left eye, the Uchiha further inspected her: A navy blue dress, long chestnut hair, freckles, and olive green eyes that shone less than another pair he knew well.

"You're Haruko?" He still had to ask just in case.

Since Sasuke had clamped his hand over her mouth, the girl could only nod hesitantly. A short sigh of relief left his lips when she did so and he took his hand away to stand straight in front of her.

"Who are you?" She inquired in a small, shy tone.

The young man ignored her question to try and save some time "Listen closely. Me and my teammate came here to bring you back to your village, Suiden. I'm not gonna take you out of here right now but we will come back for you later."

Sasuke waited for the teenager to process this information and observed her eyes growing wide and shiny with tears. Haruko let out something between a gasp and a high pitched whimper as she stood up, countless questions spilling from her lips "W-wait, why would you do that? And I still don't know your name! Who is this teammate you're talking about? How can I trust you and… just…how are you going to bring me back home!?"

"I'm not asking you to trust me," Sasuke immediately replied, his voice deep, blank "and why I want to save you concerns no one but me. My name is Sasuke, but what you need to know is that I'll come back to save you soon."

Haruko was silent for a moment. Then she looked up and plunged her wet eyes into Sasuke's. There was something about them that deeply shocked him. More than the fact that she didn't seem to fear what would become of her if her presumed savior couldn't actually be trusted –because maybe she had already found sufficient answers in his earnest black orbs- it was the pleading look in those olive eyes -one that reminded him of a pink haired genin's from years ago under a crescent moon near Konoha's exit doors- that made his eyebrows arch up imperceptibly.

"When?…" was the sole question Haruko asked the distant, somber stranger in front of her; and her voice was so desperate, although she tried to keep it from cracking, it made it sound so small like a lost child's "…When will you come back for me?"

Sasuke took a second to answer, though his stern eyes never left the girl's "Before the wedding, be sure of it."

No sooner had he finished his sentence that Haruko had jumped to hug his waist. Startled, Sasuke had to take a step back not to lose his balance. The chestnut haired teen held tightly onto him, wrinkling the fabric at the back of his shirt with her thin fingers as wet, warm tears flowed from her eyes and soaked its front. A perplexed Sasuke tried to get her off of him by pushing her shoulders a little. Thankfully, she quickly understood, stepped back and arched her neck up to look at the tall young man "Thank you…" it came out as a whisper at first but then she exclaimed loudly "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Sasuke managed to shush her after a moment, in fear that her voice would attract attention from a guard's patrol. Once she had calmed down and sat back on her bed, he decided it was the right time to obtain a few answers to the questions he and Sakura had asked themselves for weeks during their investigations. "I need you to tell me a little more" Sasuke started, finally collected again after the girl's earlier assault. "Can you explain what happened to you? Do you know exactly why you were kidnapped?"

Haruko gaped at him for a minute. She put a finger on her lips in thought –a gesture that felt familiar to Sasuke- and eventually replied "Well, I recall last Fall when this man, Ryokai, passed by the village." The girl lowered her eyes to stare at her knees, an almost guilty smile forming on her lips "He stayed for a night at my aunt's inn, so I treated him like any client, being very nice, all smiles and all… He seemed to really like it. He joked with me and told me he would buy wonderful presents for me."

Sasuke was starting to lose interest in her tale when she finally cut to the chase "Then, about two weeks after he was gone, his men came back for me. They tried to ask me to come nicely at first but since I kept refusing they took me by force. When I arrived here, Ryokai-san did his best to entertain me. He walked me around the gardens and spent time with me although he…never took me to his bedroom since I was too young. He became less interested in me seeing as I wasn't enjoying myself nearly as much as he was. So one day he gave me a ring, which I was forced to accept, and locked me up in here." She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, holding back more tears "I have been spending my days alone in this room since then."

"I see." This clarified a few things for Sasuke. It was clear now that Haruko hadn't left Suiden of her own free will, though it was still weird. Why would Ryokai choose Haruko to be his bride when a bunch of women came to 'visit' him every week? Sasuke would have to see if he could make sense of this point later, for now, he had all the information he needed.

After the end of Haruko's speech, Sasuke took a few minutes to have a look around the room in prevision of their future escape. Surprisingly for a damsel in distress's prison, the decoration was actually very poor like the furniture, which made the large rectangular room seem even darker than it truly was. A red round carpet covered the gray floor, but no tapestry was there to hide the same sad color on the walls. The only sources of light in the room were a little yellow lamp on Haruko's bedside table and a single plain square window on the wall opposite the entrance. Upon looking through it, Sasuke realized that any escape would be impossible from there considering how high from the ground it was and how far the forest's trees were situated.

"I'll go now" he announced, already walking towards the door. "Don't let anyone know I was there until I come back."

The young Uchiha checked that Haruko nodded at this order, and right after she did, he disappeared 'through the keyhole' using the vase from earlier.

A short sigh inwardly left Sasuke's lips as he found himself alone in the gray corridor once again. This girl was quite…surprising in a way. He doubted he had ever received such honest thanks from anyone but the members of Team 7 before, and Haruko barely knew him. She kind of reminded him of a younger version of Sakura for some reasons… But what he had to focus on was the information he had obtained from this encounter. With this done, the only thing that was left for him to do was to join up with Sakura and prepare a plan for their escape. It would be easy to sneak away from his post using a kage bunshin, and since none of Ryokai's guardians were able to localize his chakra precisely inside the fortress, he didn't have to worry about getting found out. Sasuke couldn't waste any more time, Sakura had already been left alone and in danger way too long. Simply imagining what she must have gone through during his absence was torture, and to think that she would have to wait until he found her in this impossibly large fortress! Sasuke was about to perform his technique and go scout for his poor teammate when…

"So I heard you're the master's new guardian?"

The young Uchiha turned to his right towards the source of the raspy, manly voice that had called him. It was a guard, a bit different from the others since he wore a red band around his right arm -likely a sign that he was of a higher rank. Although his demeanor and smile appeared welcoming at first, Sasuke had a feeling that they were much more vicious than what they appeared on the outside. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Tetsuo, and I will be guarding the princess's room with you for the rest of the day! Probably part of tonight as well, knowing the lord…"

And so the nightmare began.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Ta-dah! Haruko comes up at last! What do you guys think of her? Well, I know I haven't showed much yet but...Hmm, feel free!^^_

 _Thanks so much to all my reviewers again (I know I say it every time but IT IS important)! Your comments make my day!_

 _Some of you wanted Sakura to be extreemely seductive and Sasuke extremely jealous...I hope I was able to satisfy you with what I wrote this time again. :)_

 _So here you go! How will Sasuke and Sakura bring Haruko back to her village? What will happen to Sakura while Sasuke is away?..._

 _See that in the next chapter~_


	21. Part 5 - Chapter 21

_**FLY AWAY- Part 5 : The Mission**_

 _ **Chapter 21**_

The changing of the guard eventually came way past midnight. Sasuke had just gone through more than nine hours of standing on his spot and listening to Tetsuo's useless chatter, so obviously he was quite in a sour mood when he was finally allowed to leave.

The Uchiha had no idea of what had happened to Sakura during all this time. The different scenarios playing in his mind in endless assaults were a horrendous agony that even physical torture could not have achieved. The images flashed in his head: Sakura in the daimyou's son's room - Sakura tied to the bed - Ryokai touching her, tarnishing her, violating her - Sakura crying in the dark, helpless and broken.

Sasuke sneaked through the halls of the fortress at an incredible speed towards the source of the familiar chakra of his teammate, all the while beating himself up mentally, fully aware that if anything had happened to Sakura during his absence it would be entirely his fault. But it took him all too long to stay hidden and avoid the guards while trespassing in the corridors; in no time however, Sasuke was on edge, so desperate to find the pink haired kunoichi who had been his companion for so long that he didn't even recognize himself anymore. Checking for hostile chakras before sprinting through empty halls, breathless like a lone wolf on the hunt, Sasuke was in a trance.

Since when did he become so worried sick when it came to Sakura? He had always cared for her deep down, as a teammate and a friend. After the war, he would have gone to the end of the world with Naruto to save her -but would he have become so mad in the process before? It was useless to deny it; cold sweat was trickling down his neck by now and he could feel all the muscles in his body –his heart among them- tensing painfully at how stressed he currently was.

Sasuke took a left turn, crossed an umpteenth hall, sprinted through a corridor, took another left, climbed down the stairs to the third floor. He found himself in the east wing of the fortress, the opposite from where he had departed in front of Haruko's prison. Finally it was there. The room he was looking for was the last one at the end of this hallway. At this point, the last remainders of Sasuke's composure had all crumbled down to the ground like his ever-unfazed mask as he sped up to run the last few meters separating him from Sakura.

Having previously made sure that his teammate's chakra was the only one in the room, the young Uchiha burst through the door with a harsh push of his shoulder, thankful for it to be unlocked. Utterly out of breath and tired as if he had just fought the five Kages in a row, Sasuke studied the contents of the room with attention.

"Sasuke-kun?"

She was sitting right there, at her desk, barely a few meters away from him. Her clothes were intact and there were no visible marks on her skin. She seemed alright, slightly puzzled, but alright.

Sakura stood up from her chair as silently as possible and walked up to the pale, breathless Sasuke. Not too surprisingly, she began scolding him in a hushed tone "I have quite a few things to ask you, Mr. Guardian! What the heck was going through your head when you…!?"

The young medic didn't have time to finish her rant. Sasuke's hand shot out to grab her wrist and pulled her to him. Instantly, it traveled up to encircle her shoulders with his right arm. His fingers clenched Sakura's bare shoulder almost painfully, bringing her upper body as close to him as he could. Right now, all he needed was to feel her unscathed body against his, to make sure that she was there, warm and well, maybe also to take the lecher's touch away with his own.

It was a clumsy embrace since he only used one arm, but it nevertheless left the pink haired girl completely speechless. Sasuke rested his head against her shoulder so that Sakura could feel his breath in small, warm pants on her neck. He seemed to be murmuring something like a mantra against her skin but it was way too quiet for Sakura to catch his exact words, no matter how close he was. As she tried to listen, the kunoichi also felt a tiny bead of cold sweat falling from Sasuke's face to roll down her chest.

That was when Sakura realized how exposed she actually was and blushed ten shades darker than red. "S-Sasuke-kun" she called feebly "what are you…"

Sasuke abruptly released her, roughly pushing her shoulder and turning away from her to face the door. Beet red, Sakura stared in bafflement until he spoke darkly "What are you doing Sakura?"

The kunoichi remained silent, shocked by the threatening tone of his question. "Wha-"

"WHY did you come here dammit!?"

He had shouted this time and Sakura almost gasped in shock "Not so loud, the other girl is right in the next…"

Sasuke carried on in the same thunderous voice "I couldn't care less about the other girl! What I care about is…" He trailed off, unwilling to finish this thought "Damn, Sakura, you better have a good excuse for this." Even though he said that, Sasuke was already strongly resolved on accepting no justification for this behavior; it was simply impossible for him to understand her this time.

Sakura frowned at this. If it was a fight that he wanted, he would get it. "What do you mean, so I'm in the wrong? You're the one who gave your real name to the target! I thought you didn't want to suffer the consequences if your reputation took one more blow!?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth, his back still facing his teammate "You should have stayed back in town. You should never have come here in the first place, even less like this…"

Sakura's annoyance only grew more at his mumbles, though she tried to keep the volume of her voice in check "Like this I was able to stay by Ryokai's side and watch him! I can distract him and obtain direct information to help save Haruko, and you're-"

Sasuke yelled in fury, his eyes wild and his blood boiling "Don't you see that you've jumped right into the lion's den!?"

Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave him a bored look "Ditto."

The young man turned back again to face the door, though Sakura didn't miss the balled fists at his side. What could possibly have put him into such a state? It seemed farfetched to her but with what he had just said and done…Could it be that…?

Sakura let the silence linger as she walked soundlessly closer to her teammate. He couldn't see or even feel it because of her steady tone, but she was incredibly nervous "Are you _that_ worried about me?"

Sasuke jumped indiscernibly at this soft question. Yes, yes he was, much more than she could probably fathom. But he was not about to tell her how terribly horrified he was at the idea of this filthy pervert even laying a finger on her. The reason was simple: he could not quite explain it himself.

Sakura had been expecting to receive no answer, so she shifted her gaze from the back of his head to the floor and carried in the same 'supposedly strong', but soft, low voice "You know, I can manage now. I've become kinda tough through the years, so you don't need to worry about me. Ryokai isn't anyone I can't deal with, I…"

"If you play along with him, he'll eventually harm you. And if you stop him, you'll blow your cover and who knows what he'll have his guardians do to you then. You don't have the upper hand in either case" Sasuke interrupted more blankly than the kunoichi would have imagined.

"But I do" Sakura said without hesitation. Sasuke turned his head to glance at her over his shoulder at that, a questioning look in his tired, coal orbs. The medic-nin offered him a reassuring smile "Trust me, I'll be fine" _'and I'll prove you what I'm worth'_ she added in her mind.

Sasuke completely faced her this time. This smile. It was this smile that he wanted to protect so badly, the one that he would never let anyone steal away from him. How he wanted to embrace her again right then…No. He had to get her out of this bind first. With a power such as his, he **had** to protect her at all costs.

Seeing him stare at her intently, Sakura suddenly felt uncomfortable and self-conscious. Blushing a cute pink, she spun around to tug on the sides of her kimono's collar and closed it better. Once done, she looked up and noticed Sasuke in front of her, sitting relaxed on her bed. Sakura made a small sound of surprise, covering her chest with her arms as best as she could. "Well," she began uneasily "did you meet Haruko?"

"Hn" Sasuke nodded. He explained the details of his encounter with the teenage girl under Sakura's attentive gaze but carefully omitted the embarrassing part when Haruko had hugged him. By the time he was done, Sakura had sat down beside him on the bed and was processing all the information with a finger on her lips in thought.

"I couldn't learn anything from Ryokai about the precise date of his wedding" Sakura started "but if we assume that it'll be by the end of this week for Haruko's birthday, it means we'll have to act as soon as we can." Sasuke didn't protest so she took it as his agreement and continued "I may have an idea to take her away from here but I still need to finalize a few things. Until then…"

Sakura formed a couple hand signs before placing her palm flat on her knees. The puff of smoke formed by the Kuchiyose no jutsu soon dissipated to reveal the kunoichi's summon: a small version of the slug, Katsuyu.

"Sakura-san!" The white and green animal greeted, its voice gentle and quiet as per usual. "It's been so long since you last summoned me. Are you in trouble?"

Sasuke was slightly amazed at the kindness of the slug. Neither his snakes nor his hawks would ever address him in such a friendly way – except maybe for Aoda who had completely submitted himself to his master.

"No, don't worry Katsuyu-sama" Sakura replied equally as courteously. She gently took the slug in both her hands before asking "Could you please divide yourself so that Sasuke-kun can keep your double? I need you to transmit information between us two when it's necessary."

"Of course" Katsuyu consented. The slug's mellow body seemed to quake as a small crevice appeared in the middle of its back until it completely divided it into two distinct forms. Antennas and a mouth popped up on each body, both a perfect copy of the other.

Sakura extended her right hand for Sasuke to take the smaller Katsuyu in her palm "Here, this way we'll be able to communicate whenever we need to" she enlightened.

"Very pleased to see you again, Sasuke-san" Katsuyu number two saluted her new host.

Sasuke hesitantly seized the slug's squishy form and placed her on his leg near his pants' pocket so she could worm her way inside it. He was careful not to put his hands on the bed's covers and stain it with slug slaver, but was therefore quite confused as to where to leave them. Sakura nonetheless smiled sweetly beside him "Good, now you should go, Sasuke-kun. No one must catch you here in the middle of the night."

"Yeah" the young Uchiha stood up and wasted no time to walk to the door, but his eyes lingered on his teammate. He spent a moment to study her confused expression, the lipstick-shiny small 'oh' that her mouth formed as it stayed agape in wonder, and the stunning viridian of her eyes that sparkled brighter than any other shade of green. He turned his head away from Sakura at last and whispered a short "Be careful" before leaving the room like a gust of wind.

Sasuke felt his heartbeat finally slow down as he walked through the night-bathed corridors of the fortress once more. Was it the rush of adrenaline that had made it accelerate like that back in Sakura's room? Maybe, but Sasuke was smart enough to doubt that this was the only reason. He lowered his gaze to the floor, deep in thoughts. No matter how he wanted to believe that Sakura would be fine on her own, the young Uchiha couldn't hold back the strong instinct inside him that urged every fiber of his being to act and protect her. It was not only a question of life or death if she blew her cover, but Sakura's smile was also at stake. If Ryokai did anything that could not be undone and Sasuke was helpless to help her… _He would snap_. He didn't know why or when this powerful overprotective impulse towards Sakura had appeared; Sasuke simply knew what would ensue if he failed on his mission and was dead set on not letting it happen.

The onyx eyed shinobi arrived on the first floor of east wing. Tetsuo -the guard who had kept him in front of Haruko's door all day- had explained that all the bedrooms were situated in this wing. On the fourth and third floor were the guest rooms, on the second were the servant's, and on the first, Ryokai's and his guardians'. The ground floor was nonexistent, as a greenhouse had been built underneath as well as some sort of barn to keep all the gardening supplies.

"I didn't think you would show up this late."

Sasuke halted at the sound of the cool feminine voice coming from further in the hallway. He looked up to see Yue leaning against the wall of the corridor, staring sharply at him.

"Neither did I" Sasuke answered, impassive as always.

"Tell me," Yue pushed herself off the wall to stand straight before Sasuke "where were you all this time?"

"Guarding Haruko's room" the raven haired young man replied without missing a beat.

"You know perfectly well what I meant, Uchiha" the kunoichi narrowed her eyes dangerously.

So she knew that the changing of the guard had taken place an hour ago. Sasuke didn't ponder for too long to find an appropriate answer and spoke low and dark "You don't trust me."

"Tch" Yue made her way to stand right beside Sasuke without sparing him a glance. Even when she was older than him, the height difference between them remained strikingly obvious, but she neither took notice nor minded as she uttered threateningly "Don't ever hang around Ryokai-sama's girls if you value your life. They are _his_ happiness and property alone."

"Oh?" Sasuke let out, almost sounding amused. Yue's eyes had barely the time to snap shut in shock at the speed of Sasuke's movement. In an instant he had her pinned against the wall with his forearm pressed against her shoulders and his kusanagi a millimeter away from her throat. He glared into her wide eyes with loathing crimson pupils and whispered darkly "Funny for a woman to consider her peers as a man's objects" His tone lowered even more as he seethed "You saw what I did to your colleagues earlier so you should be the one fearing for your life."

Sasuke slowly pulled his katana away from Yue, careful to keep the length of its blade right under the woman's throat as he withdrew it and sheathed it into its holster on his back. She gasped when the 'click' of the blade resounded in the hallway and Sasuke gave an ominous short chuckle "You seem to be very loyal to your master so follow his judgment."

Yue's ice queen façade had completely fallen down as she stared at the Uchiha with eyes as wide as saucers. Maybe he had been too harsh, but Sasuke would probably not have gone to such extent had she not referred to Sakura as Ryokai's 'property'.

The raven haired young man looked over at his 'colleague' once again "Can you show me my room? I'm new here."

~O~

Two days later, Sasuke was leaning against the wall of the barn under the west wing of the fortress. After a whole morning of being forced to follow the daimyou's son like his shadow, he had finally been released and had escaped to the calmest part of the residence: the garden in its center. From his spot, the young Uchiha could well observe the multiple varieties of colorful flower species populating the large square shaped garden. The four walls of the gray fortress towered above this extended 'patio', partly shielding it from the sun's light, although Sasuke was positioned at the rare angle where he could benefit from its warmth right next to the greenhouse. Some servants were hard at work to organize large pots of pure immaculate blooms into an alley in the center of the garden near the white cherry tree. Others, mostly men, were trying to build some kind of arch using white painted wood. No doubt these were the preparations for the daimyou's son's wedding to Haruko.

The raven haired shinobi honestly had nothing better to do than watch. Matsui and Seichi had recovered from their injuries, but much like their two other companions, they didn't trust the Uchiha and wouldn't give him any more information. Sasuke had tried to busy himself usefully by watching over Sakura from afar, but the task had proven difficult considering that one of the guardians stayed at Ryokai's side –and therefore Sakura's- at all times of the day. Not only that, but having to watch the daimyou's son playfully kiss Sakura's ear or neck while she struggled to keep herself composed was way over his limits –one morning of surveillance had well proved it as Sasuke would have slashed Ryokai's throat open from behind when the tanned man had groped Sakura's lower back had he not remembered the lecture she had given him through Katsuyu the previous day: _"If you don't want to blow your cover, you're gonna have to start by keeping your temper in check, and that means trusting me on my undercover job for a little longer."_

"Sasuke-san" a small, kind voice called from the Uchiha's pocket.

The shinobi glanced down at his pants' pocket. He carefully inspected his surroundings and got off the wall to walk towards the greenhouse. Once inside, he couldn't help but tug at his high collar because of the intense heat but quickly waved it off as he took a left to hide behind a large fern. Finally certain to be out of anyone's sight, Sasuke took Katsuyu in his palm and waited for her to speak.

"I have a message from Sakura-san. She asks if you can meet up with her in her room tonight again?"

"The guardians have me on watch at night" Sasuke replied blankly "I can't risk it."

"Oh" the slug acknowledged "Well, would it be fine right now then?"

"Hn" Sasuke nodded, put the slug back in his pocket and was on his way.

He easily avoided any confrontation with the few maids in the corridors and reached his teammate's room in about five minutes. It was surprising that she would be there in the middle of the day. What time was it anyway? Sasuke hadn't been watchful enough to observe the height of the sun in the sky back in the gardens since he had been too busy fighting off his disturbing thoughts of Ryokai and Sakura.

Not bothering to knock, Sasuke let himself in the pink haired kunoichi's small, square room and found her at her desk, seemingly deeply concentrated on something. A food tray lay at her feet, untouched, so Sasuke guessed it must have been around lunch time and Sakura had retired to her room to eat.

"What is it?" He asked, walking closer to the desk since the medic didn't look like she would stand up to greet him anytime soon. Now he could clearly see the multiple herbs and phials disposed on the wooden surface. A light green liquid already filled four thin syringes on Sakura's right while she was pouring the similar contents of a small jar into a fifth one using a funnel. She made sure that every last drop of it rolled into the syringe, then closed it meticulously, and shook it energetically a second later.

Sasuke watched her ministrations in slight wonder until Sakura looked up at him and held the syringe proudly in front of his face " _This_ is the key to our success."

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Hey! I know I made you wait to see Sakura, but the next chapter will be partly in her POV to make up for lost time.^^_

 _I'm so glad you guys are liking this arc so far! It makes me want to read your reviews in the morning even when I don't have time before going to school! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! :D_

 _To clarify: Yue and the other guardians are excellent shinobis, however, as they mostly only worked as bodyguards, they don't have the battle experience that Sasuke and Sakura possess after having fought in the war. That's partly why Yue was taken aback by Sasuke's intimidation._

 _As always, feel free to share your thoughts, theories or questions, I answer every time! ;)_


	22. Part 5 - Chapter 22

_**A.N./:**_ _I changed the rating of this story just for this chapter TO BE SAFE. This nonetheless implies sexual themes, so if you don't want to read, I'll warn you when to stop and restart. Without further ado, I hope you will enjoy this chapter. See you in the ending note.^^_

* * *

 _ **FLY AWAY- Part 5 : The Mission**_

 _ **Chapter 22**_

The next day was when everything would play out.

Ryokai had just informed Sakura that she would be invited to his room that night after he had had enough of the other girl, Kaoru. The green eyed medic had accepted to her 'master's sheer enthusiasm. What he didn't know was that he probably wouldn't enjoy himself all that much.

Sasuke had been the hardest one to convince concerning that part of the plan. Sakura had already prepared herself mentally and was ready to confront and argue with the daimyou's son -after all, the two shinobis' purpose was to reach an agreement to bring back Haruko to her family- but the young Uchiha had strongly insisted that she should not spend one minute alone with that 'filthy pervert', especially in his room, even if just to talk. "Then how else are we gonna negotiate with him?" This argument was impossible to counter. Sasuke had already been assigned other essential tasks for the working of the plan and was therefore forced to comply with his teammate's idea despite how much he hated it. He would definitely be assaulted by dreadful thoughts all day again…

Taking care of the guardians would be a child's play using the powerful sleeping serums that Sakura had concocted. The syringes had been divided between the two Leaf shinobis: Sasuke had two; Sakura three, in case of emergencies.

It was about five in the afternoon now. The sun had already sunk too low despite the lengthening of days in this season, so that the high walls of the fortress blocked most of the light of the fading afternoon glow. While walking at Ryokai's arm with Kaoru near the windows of the garden, Sakura could see the flying white petals of a cherry blossom tree drifting by the wind above the alley prepared for the upcoming wedding as well as varieties of orange, pink and red flowers. However beautiful it may have looked, she couldn't help but wish to see the golden light of dusk playing with the shadows and kissing the delicate shapes of the plants. Soon she would, once outside and back on the roads with Sasuke _and_ Haruko. Until then…

"Sakuya, my dear" Ryokai purred in her ear, bringing her waist closer to his side for her to arch her back against him-which she strongly tried to avoid. "Look at me."

Sakura halfheartedly obeyed and plunged her void green orbs into Ryokai's dark, hungry maroons. His face was too close to her liking, way to close so that she could feel his breath on her nose when he whispered "You look sad. I'll help you out."

Sakura repressed a gasp when his hand traveled further down her backside. She bit her bottom lip before looking up with a charming counterfeit smile "I'm not sad Ryokai-sama, never when I'm with you."

"Oh, how cute of you" he replied in a low voice that the kunoichi found more disgusting than enticing like he had wanted. Sakura felt his hand snaking its way to her thighs under the hem of her kimono. Gosh, how she hated this! This man was playing with her, simply using her as an object for his own pleasure and amusement. And the worst was…she let him do it. It had been the only way for her to go through with her mission of saving Haruko. How else would she have been able to infiltrate this place undercover? As a guardian like Sasuke? She thought it was a mistake from him to have given his real name, but on the other hand, would he have joined the daimyou's son's high ranked guardians as a no-name so easily? She doubted it, though she wasn't keen either on revealing that she was actually the Fifth Hokage's famed apprentice Sakura Haruno, and therefore an expert in poisons of all sorts.

So this was what she was forced to endure. A seduction mission. Kunoichis were often sent on these, it had been a common practice in the days back when information on the other nations was worth gold after all. Sakura's friend Ino used to be quite experienced in this field too, always bragging that she was so good at them that she never even needed to go through the whole 'procedure' to bring back the needed info. Tsunade however, had not permitted her precious student to leave for this kind of assignment. The pink haired medic had always thought it was for the best since she could spend more time honing her medical skills this way, but now she wondered.

' _Would it be easier for me now if I had gone through this before?'_ Sakura lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut when Ryokai started nibbling at her ear. She felt so disgusted with herself, letting another man touch her like that when…No, this was not about Sasuke, but herself. Sakura needed to fray for herself. _That_ alone would show him once and for all that she was strong and independent…worthy of him, just maybe.

"Ryokai-samaaa~" Kaoru moaned, trying to sound seductive. The daimyou's son turned to the woman under his other arm who was pressing her abundant chest to his side.

"You feel left out?" He chuckled, focusing his attention on her instead.

Sakura would have sighed in relief had she not been so close to her target right then. She let herself be dragged to the living room and stayed there for about one awfully long hour until she excused herself with the pressing need to go to the bathroom and left towards the north wing. From what Sasuke had told her, one of the guardians, Matsui spent most of his time there when he was not watching over the lord. He and Seichi who was by Ryokai's side right now were her targets, while Sasuke would take care of the other two who were hanging around closer to the west wing where he would have to pick up Haruko later on.

Sakura was plodding determinedly through the corridors when Katsuyu called her discreetly. The kunoichi took her summon out of a pouch dissimulated by her satin corsage.

"Sasuke-san has just taken down the first guardian, Yue. He is moving on to Rentarou" the slug informed.

"Alright, tell him I'm going to meet Matsui too" with that, she started walking again towards her target.

Sakura arrived on the first floor of the north wing and became immediately aware of the strong chakra up ahead. Slamming her right fist against her other palm with a combative 'yosh', she got away from her hiding spot at the corner of the stairs and found the large, staff wielding black man on his way out of the library. She noted the bandages on his shoulder -a sequel of his battle against Sasuke- but walked on towards him in the corridor.

Unsurprisingly, he called for her right after she was within earshot "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be by the master's side?"

Sakura smiled cutely up at him without losing composure in the least despite the fact that this man was at least two feet taller than her "Ryokai-sama allowed me to go for a walk before dinner."

Matsui's frown didn't ease at all as he still wouldn't let Sakura through "No one but the lord and his guardians are allowed in this wing."

Sakura feigned surprise "Oh really? I didn't know about that."

She was still smiling under the man's cold stare. Little by little, the item she had hidden in her right arm warmer under her sleeve was sliding into her hand. Matsui took a long step towards her – _'just a little more'_. He was about to do another, his good hand reaching to grab the shortest staff on his back – _'ready'_.

Sakura lunged at the guardian, her syringe in hand and her other fist balled tightly for a punch. Matsui had been prepared and immediately attacked with a tsuki thrust. Sakura inclined her body to the side just in time to watch the blade pass by an inch away from her nose. Matsui switched his hands' position on his staff's handle to drive it back towards the pink haired girl in a circular movement. The attack was aimed too high for her to jump above the spear and she couldn't block it bare handed because of the blade, but Sakura smirked nonetheless. Matsui had greatly underestimated her agility.

The kunoichi bent down until she was crouching with her knees almost touching the floor. She saw Mastui's spear cutting a semi-cirlce in the air above her head. He couldn't stop his movement now, and that was Sakura's chance. She leaped up with the speed of a frog and landed a titanic upper cut on the tall man's jaw.

Matsui felt his feet leaving the floor as he flew up to meet the ceiling with the top of his head. He landed back down like a brick, utterly dazed and disoriented. Before he had time to stand back up, Sakura rapidly stuck her syringe into his leg and watched the green liquid penetrate the man's system. _'4…3…2…1…'_

Matsui's head as well as the hand holding his staff fell back with a 'bonk' on the floor. His breathing soon became even as he lay star-sprawled in the middle of the corridor.

Sakura grinned proudly at her work _'Shannaro! One good thing done. Now I should get back before anyone gets suspicious'_ Sakura found an empty closet near the stairs and easily dragged her large victim inside it using her chakra enhanced strength. "Katsuyu-sama, you can tell Sasuke-kun that I'm moving on to phase two!" She said, rubbing her hands together to dust them off.

The pink haired medic reached the dining room just in time to feed Ryokai all throughout dinner. Whether it be salad, tuna, rice or chocolate mousse, it was always up to her and Kaoru to carefully put the food into their host's mouth with their chopsticks and spoons. The worst was, they didn't have any other utensils to eat themselves and had to use the same ones to eat, if they were still hungry that is. One of Ryokai's numerous manias was to watch his girls eat with a hungry gaze and his tongue out to play on his lips; it always made Sakura's stomach churn just to imagine what he must have been thinking about.

She didn't eat much that evening either as Ryokai kept his eyes solely fixed on her. Sakura had a feeling that he was probably daydreaming about what he would do once he took her to his bedroom later on. Out of the three days she had spent here, these few minutes were probably the hardest to stand for her. Under his lust-filled eyes, Sakura constantly repeated to herself that it would be alright as long as he stayed composed and refrained from punching him in the gut with her full strength. She wasn't scared because she was strong. She could do this.

"My my," Ryokai sing sang in a playful tone "look at how late it's getting, my little Sakuya."

He got up without sparing a glance at Kaoru whom he had spent all his days and nights with up until now. Instead, he extended his hand to Sakura. She tried to remember how easy it had been for her to sound alluring back in the hamlet in the Water Country with Sasuke before taking it and saying in a velvety voice "You're such a gentleman Ryokai-sama."

Ryokai unexpectedly yanked on the pink haired girl's hand a bit too hard, at which she let out a small squeak. Sakura landed against his chest close enough for him to murmur low in her ear "We'll see about that in a few minutes" The kunoichi's eyes widened and she had the sudden urge to push him as far away from her as possible. But sadly, she did none of that and instead covered up her revulsion behind a fake smile all the way to Ryokai's room.

She tried to keep her ears focused on Seichi's steps behind them, but all outer sound was blocked by the depraved young man beside her whispering coarse warnings into their shell. Sakura forced herself to giggle at these although she was growing more and more annoyed by the minute. How was she supposed to concentrate on her mission under these conditions? Despite her irritation, a thin layer of cold sweat was also forming at the base of her neck in apprehension, helping the night draft to make shivers run down her spine. "I'll warm you up well, you'll see. You'll be burning, Sakuya, once I'm done with you…" Ryokai kept whispering, sneaking his long fingers under the cloth of her kimono on her back.

Maybe as a means of escape but without wanting to, Sakura's mind drifted to Sasuke, wondering where he was, if he was okay or if he was worrying about her, even…if he would maybe come save her. But she didn't want to be saved! She would be just fine on her own this time! No more staying behind his back, she had promised herself. _'Though…What would he think about this?'_ The kunoichi felt dirty, stained by the marks of Ryokai's filthy fingertips over her body. He was a man whom she didn't love, didn't even know; yet he was taking her to his room as though she were his property. Would Sasuke…ever look at her again even if she succeeded in her mission? Would he consider her stronger than in the past or be disgusted by her? Would he be able to stand her presence near him after this was all over? Yes…yes…

"Babe, we're there" came Ryokai's low voice beside her.

Sakura looked up to take in her surroundings. The master's room was by far the most richly decorated one she had seen so far. Despite being as plain in shape as the others, the furniture was all made of noble, polished brown wood and lined with gold. Everything from the stools, the carpets, the curtains, cushions and drapes on the large king sized bed were of a shiny red velvet. There was also a long, vertical, old-fashioned mirror a small way beside the bed as well as smaller ones on tables positioned against the walls. Golden candlesticks were dispersed on the bedside tables, on a coffee table and on the window sill beside the open curtains. Besides that, the main source of light in the room would have been a large chandelier, but it wasn't lit in order to give the room a more intimate atmosphere. Sakura noted the grandmother's clock against the wall on her right which indicated half past nine as well as the long, traditional, crane patterned folding screen in front of the door. Seichi was planted there after locking the door, his face turned to it, and Sakura instantly guessed what this particular furniture was for.

"Come Sakuya," Ryokai encouraged as he stepped further into his room to indicate the bed with his eyes "we have plenty of things to do."

Sakura balled her fist at her side, feeling a familiar cold plastic object sliding down her forearm under her black arm warmer _'Finally'_ she thought.

The pink haired kunoichi caught Seichi off guard as she jumped backwards swiftly, grabbed his arm and knocked it behind his back. Unable to escape from her iron strong grip, the guardian was powerless to prevent his attacker from injecting the serum into his veins. Four seconds later, the thickset man fell limp into her arms.

"W-what are you doing Sakuya?" A flabbergasted Ryokai asked as he watched his cute little play-thing push Seichi's limp body against the wall next to the door.

Sakura gave a short sigh of relief. At last she was able to drop her act and defend herself. She marched towards Ryokai but kept a safe distance from him "Don't worry, I won't harm you."

"Oh?" His smirk returned "So you like to play it rough after all? I wouldn't…"

He trailed off at the sight of the pink haired girl's deep frown and tightly clenched teeth. Sakura took a deep breath. No matter how much she wanted to beat up this guy, he wasn't her enemy. She was here to talk. Simply _talk_.

"I know that you keep a girl here called Haruko" she said, her voice firm. "I want you to tell me why you kidnapped her."

Ryokai stared at her dumbfounded for a second then spoke, incredulous "Wait, what? What are you talking about Sakuya?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I saw her." Sakura had actually yet to meet the girl, but Sasuke's word was enough insurance for her to say this.

"Oh" Ryokai lowered his voice and his gaze. "And why would you be interested in her?"

Sakura struggled to keep her cool. She had never been a very patient person; and this man purposefully avoiding her questions was rapidly getting on her nerves. "I came here to take her back to her family! Now tell me, why did you kidnap her? You could have almost any woman you want, so why her!?"

He didn't answer, simply stared vaguely at the floor.

"Listen," Sakura started, trying to stay collected "Haruko's family and the whole population of her village are devastated by her disappearance. I want to bring her back, but I also want to know why you did this in the first place."

Silence lasted about thirty seconds until the young kunoichi picked up a mumble from the man in front of her "And what would you do if you knew?"

"It depends on what you have to say" she replied without hesitation. "So speak up."

Ryokai kept silent. The soundless atmosphere was so overwhelming in the room that the wind could be heard dancing among tree leaves outside the thick walls. The tiny flames of the multiple candles on the candlesticks kept dancing quietly for minutes. It seemed Ryokai wouldn't open his mouth to talk anymore, with his head hung down, hiding his gaze from Sakura.

She let out a sigh of frustration and encouraged him once more. Still no answer. "Come on! Answer me!" The young woman exclaimed, deeply irritated. She could have just taken the girl and ran off, but no, she was actually trying to understand and find an agreement! So why wouldn't he let her hear his side of the story? Was it too hard? Too complicated? She didn't know yet, but was determined to learn more about the mysteries surrounding Haruko's kidnapping.

Sakura determinedly strode towards the daimyou's son, ready to adopt a more gentle approach in her cross interrogation. Even if her dignity had gone through Hell during the past few days because of him, she somehow managed to pity Ryokai. Why did he decide to fill his life with strangers that stayed with him for one week and left the next? Where did such a strong emotional lacking come from? Why did he consider all these girls around him like objects? Why had he chosen Haruko to be his wife while he still invited women to his room all the time?

Sakura now stood about a meter away from Ryokai. She still couldn't see his eyes because of his lowered head, but she tentatively reached out her hand and parted her lips to speak.

There was no warning. In a split second, Ryokai grabbed her wrist with one hand, her head with the other. He slammed the latter against the wall behind him. Sakura's eyes stayed wide open, but she couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything, could barely feel anything.

She believed there was cold air on her skin and a brisk movement then. She could see nothing.

A loud buzzing resounded in her ears and a sharp whistling too. There was a spot of yellow in the middle of her dark field of vision. Light?

Was this a cold sensation near her forehead? She couldn't think straight so maybe it was actually warm and thick.

"Eyes…It's almost…this green…Almost…same" was what she could faintly hear. There was dark beige before her eyes too now, like skin maybe.

Suddenly it felt cold. She might have been shivering a little but she could barely tell.

Sakura blinked. And then she could see everything.

 _ **(A.N./: Stop here in case you don't want to read)**_

Her brain started working again and she realized that Ryokai was on top of her, on his bed after he had tossed her there. She saw her pink corsage right next to her white stockings on the red covers beside her. Her kimono was wide open too, which explained the cold. Her strapless bra was halfway pulled down since Ryokai hadn't bothered to unclasp it in his mad frenzy. He was holding her legs up with his hands, spreading them to gain a better view and access.

Panic caught Sakura at the throat. She had the urge to scream but her vocal cords felt way too tight and only a breathy, quiet squeak escaped her lips. She tried to move her hands left limp on her sides but Ryokai had looked up at the small sound of her voice. He rapidly went to grab her wrists and held them above her head with only one hand.

"Shh…hush now…" he whispered in her ear like she oh so hated.

Ryokai shifted his body to straddle her waist so that she couldn't use her legs to attack him. Sakura breathed heavily, cold sweat running down her forehead in fright. Her brain was equally as panicked _'I have to do something!'_ She thought desperately as Ryokai moved his head to suck down her jaw and neck _'No! I don't want this! I can't let this bastard rape me…!'_ He moaned, seemingly amused by her distress. _'…I'm scared!'_ He was at her collar bone now, his free hand trailing down her naked side lower and lower. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the tears, fat and stingy at their corners. _'I have to move!'_ It was just like then; she might have been the helpless twelve year old genin again at this moment, for she could barely think of anything as Ryokai bit down on her chest and squeezed her thigh in his rough hand.

An image flashed through her mind. A memory of a raven haired young man walking beside her under a sunset near Unrai. The kunoichi's eyes snapped open.

Sakura's body was still a little numb from the harsh blow earlier, but she did her best to wriggle out of her captor's grip, twisting, turning… however, his hold was too strong on her hands and around her waist; he tightened it even more, almost squashing her hips between his knees after this poor attempt at an escape. Sakura heard him chuckle, his wet breath fanning over the skin in between her breasts. His hand was on her hipbone now, playing with the hem of her underwear. She clenched her teeth tightly, biting her lip until it bled in the process, and tried to push Ryokai away once more. Still no success. In one hard tug, he lowered her panties.

' _No! Come on!'_ Sakura encouraged herself. Her heart was beating faster and faster with every passing second, faster and harsher than a blizzard's wind; and all the while his free hand tortured her by slowly drawing nearer below her hip. Tears had already fallen from her stinging eyes, but she struggled to keep more from doing so; Ryokai pulled her leg up, holding tight with his claw-like hand. The cold sweat on the girl's face had ruined her make up by then, revealing the indigo diamond forming the Strength of a Hundred Seal on her forehead.

Sakura pushed as hard as she could against the hand that was capturing her wrists. Ryokai held on strongly, moving back down to trace around her navel with his hot, slimy tongue. Because it had not completely come back yet, the kunoichi's voice came out as a breathy, high pitched murmur at first "Shannaro…!" Then it was louder, much louder and fierce "SHAAANNAROO !"

Ryokai's whole body jerked up and away from Sakura's form at the sheer strength of her outburst. Her hands were now free, but she barely had time to sit up and realize this small victory before her attacker came lunging back at her. Ryokai caught her waist with his arms and Sakura let out a whimper in pain as he squeezed so tightly that his nails dug into the skin of her back. He mumbled her false name and started biting her belly harshly like a mad man. Ignoring the pain, Sakura tore off her right arm-warmer with a shaky hand and grabbed the last syringe hidden behind it, carelessly planting it in her attacker's shoulder with a warrior's roar.

4…3…2…1…

Ryokai fell limp against her.

 _ **(A.N./: You can start again from here)**_

Sakura instantly pushed him off of her and scooted off from the bed in alarm. Only, her legs wouldn't comply with this idea and she fell right after her toes felt the floor. The medic-nin slumped against the side of the bed, struggling to gather her bearings after this sorry fight. Looking up, she saw her reflection in the beautiful mirror that she had noticed upon entering the room -she didn't need to look for too long to know how miserable she now was. Tears were still streaming down her face in an endless flow as she tried to close her kimono and cover herself as best as she could. She has won.

A broken sob wracked her throat at that thought. She has won…She has won. Then why wouldn't she stop crying? …Probably because she had almost been raped.

There was no more pretending that she was strong now. Sakura was in such a state of distress, such a mess, that she could barely think straight anymore. She sobbed and wailed helplessly for long minutes -minutes that felt like hours of despair as she relived everything that had just transpired with the slightest glance down at her tainted body, the slightest feeling of a tear falling down her chin onto her purple and red marked chest. She had promised that she would fight for herself, that she would no longer let Sasuke protect her all the time; but then why was her only wish to be in his arms right now?

No, she didn't want to see him. Not like this. He couldn't see her like this!

Sakura stopped crying. There were no more tears left in her body for her to cry at this point. She had won. That proved that she was strong, at least…maybe –although she felt anything but that right then: shattered, shaken and wretched. Until she could make sense of what had just happened, she would have to move.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _... ... ..._

 _...This had to happen, okay!_

 _I won't lie, this chapter was kinda hard to write for me since I tried to make it depressing and traumatic. If I achieved this effect well enough, I won't be surprised to find hate among relating reviewers..._ _No, seriously, the Naruto universe can be pretty dark and awful at times. The ending of the manga made it seem like there would be no more problems for anyone and that everything would be smooth to start anew. Maybe this is right, but I think **this** kind of thing could only vanish in the most utopic world._

 _Things to look forward to: Sasuke's reaction to this. You like him jealous after all, don't you?_

 _Anyway, I thank you all for reviewing and reading this story! HateNTR18, I hope you won't hate me too much for this..._

 _Please, give me a chance to make things better in the next chapters! I will do my very best to not disappoint you!_


	23. Part 5 - Chapter 23

_**FLY AWAY- Part 5 : The Mission**_

 _ **Chapter 23**_

Sasuke was done with the two guardians he had been assigned to take care of. The fight with the second one, Rentarou had been much longer than planned because of the shinobi's strong affinities in both Raiton and Fuuton. Out of all the guardians the young Uchiha had had to fight up until now, this swordsman had been the strongest by far. Considering that Sasuke needed to keep his target _alive_ –to avoid unneeded trouble with the daimyou and his son- the task of tranquilizing Rentarou had proven quite difficult without resorting to his rinnegan abilities or full-body Susano'o. Ultimately, the price for completion of the mission had been quite a number of scratches and cuts, as well as a damaged leg and a bleeding left side.

The stars were slowly taking their place in the darkening blue night sky by the time Sasuke found himself alone in front of Haruko's prison. Deprived of any better bandages, the raven haired shinobi took off the navy blue bands around his head and wrapped them around his waist, careful for his injury. He kept his teeth clenched tightly to suppress the sharp pain and made quick work of it, hoping that the bands would hold on at least until Sakura could take care of his wound.

' _Sakura.'_ He remembered her determined, almost defiant look when she had announced that she would talk to the daimyou's son alone. He had been boiling with fury at the time, but had ended up powerless to stop her from this crazy enterprise. When Sakura wanted something, she got it. _'One more reason to finish things here quickly'_ he thought, activating his mangekyou sharingan on the door of Haruko's room.

The black flames of Amaterasu sprung to life and devoured the wood in an instant, disappearing at their wielder's wish the second the last bit of the door was consumed. A few meters behind the doorstep stood a tearful Haruko.

She ran up to Sasuke and, like the day they met, jumped to encircle his waist in a tight hug. The raven haired young man couldn't hold back the low growl of pain when she squeezed at his wound so Haruko stepped back, looked up and took in his beaten up appearance. Gazing at her hands, she realized they were stained with dark blood.

The chestnut haired girl shrieked in fright and took a second to regain her composure before asking timidly "A-are you alright?"

Sasuke sighed. He had gone through all this trouble for the sole purpose of saving this girl, it wasn't to lose his temper and start yelling at her now. "I've seen worse" he replied blankly.

Haruko didn't seem reassured by this at all; seeing as his clothes were all torn and his skin dripping with blood, she had difficulty imagining worse. Nevertheless, she brought her eyes up to meet his dark ones and said with the same honesty that had shocked him a few days ago "Thank you."

Sasuke merely stared back, until he felt something shift in his pants' pocket. His hand traveled there to check on the slug inside it. However, before he could reach it, a poof of smoke escaped his pocket and dissipated around his fingers. Sasuke abruptly stuck his hand in, feeling inside where Katsuyu was supposed to be to make sure that what he feared most had not just happened. But his fingers closed on nothing but dribbling, wet cloth. It took a minute for his eyes to gradually widen at the realization that there was nothing but slug slaver in his pocket anymore.

Sasuke's whole body stiffened, his pupils small and suddenly red, apprehension and despair invading his senses like plague until after a millisecond, they took over his mind. Katsuyu had disappeared without warning. Sakura was in danger.

Haruko didn't have time to ask what happened before Sasuke harshly grabbed her wrist and started running like a mad man towards the east wing. Her feet barely touched the ground with the speed of the shinobi's rush; and his hold on her wrist was so nervously tight, too painful for her frail body. She tried to tell him to slow down in vain; Sasuke was not himself right now. He was back in a trance. If anything happened to Sakura he would…He would…

The Uchiha couldn't jump or even dash while dragging the girl. It was such an agony to watch the walls and corridors go by so slowly, that he contemplated letting Haruko go. However, she was his mission and Sakura his companion. He could leave neither of them. But what if there was no time? What if Sakura already was…?

He ran, ran, ran desperately, urgently towards his precious teammate, his precious friend, his precious Sakura. His heart beat so loud in his ears, so strong and painful against his ribcage; it was the only thing he knew, not even aware anymore of the excruciating pain in his legs as they traveled of their own accord. Why was it already so dark when he finally reached the first floor of the east wing? Why was there no sound behind the door to Ryokai's room, not a cry, a plea or the faintest footfall?

Not caring about his injured leg in the least, Sasuke threw a violent kick at the door which not only jerked it off its hinges but also fractured the wooden planks. He clenched his teeth, totally on edge, and left a flabbergasted Haruko on the doorstep as he stormed into the room. Sasuke briefly noticed Seichi sleeping against the folding screen before him but quickly strode past it and scanned the place for Sakura.

Haruko had walked over the thickset man's legs to step inside, utterly confused. When she joined the frozen stiff Sasuke in the middle of the room and landed eyes on the mirror further beside the bed, she instinctively brought her hands to her mouth and gasped in horror.

The two could see the reflection of a pink haired young woman slumped against the side of the king sized bed. On her face, torrents of tears had left dry, sinuous traces on her cheeks and chin, so visible that they looked similar to nervures on a leaf's surface. Those tears as well as anxious sweat had subsided, but the makeup the kunoichi had applied had gone as well, the only remainders being dark spots of black around her eyes and blood on her once lipstick-covered, cut lower lip. Her hair was no longer held up but slightly stained by dry blood on the top of her head and tangled, unkempt, cascading in knots around her pale visage. She was holding onto the sides of her kimono seemingly for dear life, her arms forming a cross protectively over her chest, her knuckles white and her fingers wrinkled around the thin fabric. It was a desperate attempt to cover her body, but part of her garment was torn around the right sleeve and its loose collar wouldn't stay in place so that her neck was well displayed with red and purplish hickeys all over her skin from her jaw to her collar bone. Not to mention that she had no more obi, making the red bite marks on her belly quite noticeable as well. Her legs were also bare and kept close to her body, visibly shaking like the rest of her petite form. Sakura whimpered every now and then in between shaky pants as she struggled to gather her bearings, without much success.

Sasuke had started shaking just like her, a hushed murmur of her name escaping his lips under Haruko's wide, thunderstruck gaze. He wasn't shaking in terror -not nearly- but in such a hot, blazing fury that he could hardly contain it. As his nails started digging into his palms after his hands had formed tight fists, he caught Sakura's eyes through the mirror. Her emerald green eyes looked so broken. Lost.

On the large, messed up bed, Sasuke's heated glare found the unconscious son of a bitch, the demon, the soon to be _dead man_ who had done the folly of wiping out Sakura's beautiful smile away from her face. After his long rush to reach this cursed bedroom, the young Uchiha now walked slowly, ominously towards the bed. His mouth hung slightly open to let his ragged breath escape, the only sign that he was mentally screaming, yelling in agony like he had many years ago in the deserted Uchiha compound surrounded by corpses. He had been helpless yet again. How could he have let such a thing happen…to Sakura…his dear, _dear_ Sakura? After all she had endured because of him, now this? No, no, NO. This couldn't be! Under the pale, blood-stained skin Hell's fire raged on; it burnt inside Sasuke's whole body with his heart as epicenter of this unbearable, blazing pain and his veins spreading the fury and ache all over his senses like flames eating at dark coals. Had he been able to recognize physical feelings in such a state of mind, he would have found himself on the verge of explosion.

Sasuke looked over at the daimyou's son, limp, drooling on the sheets. ' _Revenge'_. Revenge! He wanted to kill him, to destroy him. He had to! Make him feel the ravaging fire in his chest, make him burn alive just like he currently was, make him suffer like he had all his life for ripping yet another essential existence from him –because without Sakura's smile, nothing would ever be good again.

Just one more step. His mismatched eyes glowered so powerfully at Ryokai's sleeping form that Sasuke could feel the muscles creasing his eyebrows hurting. The young man reached for his sword on his back.

"No!" Labored footsteps sounding from his left indicated that Sakura had managed to stand in haste, though he didn't have to look over at the source of her small, pleading voice to know that tears were erasing the former traces on her cheeks to engrave new ones. "No d-don't! P-Please, Sa-Sasuke…kun" -her voice was cracking, so weak, so pained- "W-we don't want…a-any more trouble" and she held tightly onto the cloth on her shoulders, her arms forming a cross over her chest once more.

Sasuke unsheathed his kusanagi in a single circular movement, his head bent down towards the lecher, his victim.

"N-no…Please…" Sakura sobbed. She couldn't help it anymore. Her nerves were a wreck, her body was a wreck. Like before –ever since the very beginning- she couldn't do anything, not even walk up to her beloved and stop him, while he blocked out from his ears the cries that were ripping his very flesh to threads. The last one to sting him was also the one that possessed his arm to position his sword vertically above the spot where Ryokai's heart still beat; but then Sasuke thought better and trailed the blade a little upper where no vital organ would be touched, where he would be able to twist the blade in the wound, to slice down the back and skin the man alive like the animal he really was. It would be so _relieving_ to have all his blood staining the sheets like he had stained Sakura. It would be easy, a fair punishment for him who took and from the hand of he who lost all.

Sasuke hadn't realized that his poor teammate had managed to make her way to him with Haruko's help. He had probably zoned out for a whole minute because she now had her corsage back on to hold her kimono in place with its collar well closed, but unable to hide the marks on her neck and the damage on her face. Haruko held the kunoichi by the shoulders carefully, because truthfully the comparison with glass shattering couldn't have been any more adequate than to describe the kunoichi in this moment.

"Please!" He heard her scream -or say, as she was not quite able to scream yet-"S-Sasuke-kun!

He angled his katana closer to Ryokai's skin, almost grazing it under the cloth of his shirt. Maybe he would add electricity to sharpen the blade a little more. But wouldn't the pain be numbed if he did that?

"Sasuke-kun…I'm so sorry!"

At that, his burning red eyes became wide. "Why are you apologizing!?" The Uchiha roared "He's the bastard who did this to you! And I…!" His fault. It was all his fault. As suddenly as he had released his rage in this outburst, the fire had dimmed at the sight of her -oh, how fragile she looked, shaking so and crying like a lost child- only to be replaced by deep despair. How could he ever lay eyes on Sakura again without having his failure glaring back at him? How would he stand the absence of light in her viridian orbs? How could he ever…make it up to her? Sasuke shook his head and tightened his hold on his trembling sword, knowing that he wasn't allowed to have such selfish thoughts.

"S-Sasuke-kun" Sakura whispered between strangled tears.

Sasuke could tell by looking deeply into her eyes when she called his name; after all she had just been through, she wanted to say sorry again, because yes, this girl right here still had the nerve to be concerned about him. His teeth closed tighter together. He averted his gaze.

"I'm sorry."

Sakura's green orbs widened a little –as much as they could as they were still filled with fat, salty waters. Sasuke Uchiha, the one who believed apologies could never achieve enough to compare with actions, had just done so to her; and so earnestly at that, with his voice low and deep and his lips still agape in the slightest now, after the words had spilled unthought-of. The only time she had actually witnessed him apologize was after his final battle with Naruto two years ago, _to her_.

Her voice was still frail as she spoke "P-please, don't… blame yourself f-for this. I…it was…"

He did something unexpected then and extended his hand towards her face. Sakura gasped in fear in spite of herself. She wasn't ready for any close contact yet, even from him it would be way too hard. However, finding herself petrified in shock, the pink haired medic-nin squeezed her eyes shut and awaited whatever would come defenselessly, struggling to keep the tears from charging back under her closed eyelids. And then she felt two fingers gently touching –not tapping- her forehead. She was shaking uncontrollably, but even so, more surprised than afraid at the familiar gesture. Sakura raised her gaze to see Sasuke's face turned away from her and jumped right afterwards when his touch suddenly disappeared. If she wouldn't accept his words then his actions would speak louder, as he always believed -the word 'sorry' wasn't even the beginning of a description of what he felt upon seeing her so devastated.

"S-Sakura?" A little voice came beside the kunoichi. She turned to find Haruko looking back at her with apologetic olive green orbs. "I'm…really sorry for what happened to you…because of me." Before Sakura could protest, Haruko continued "But still, thank you."

Sakura's eyes widened a little more at that. This teenager…she seemed special, more special than she would have ever imagined. She possessed a natural instinct maybe, that told her exactly what was needed to be said –or at least Sakura felt so at first sight upon meeting the girl. And so the medic smiled, weakly, but still a smile to signify 'it's alright'.

Soon after, the three were back in the fortress's corridors, ready to flee as far away from this cursed place as their legs would take them. They couldn't run as fast as they would have liked because of Sakura's condition and Sasuke's aggravated injuries, but it was still easy enough to move past the guards and into the white room leading to the exit.

Blue light provided by the moon filtered through the small rectangle windows on each side of the marble lobby. Apart from that, the entirety of the place was bathed in forbidding shadows cast by the large columns and chandelier up on the ceiling which, as a whole, gave the room quite an unnatural feeling.

Sasuke, Sakura and Haruko's careful steps echoed against the walls like in an empty cathedral as they advanced towards the center of the room closer to the oaken doors separating them from their freedom. It was so quiet without anyone around, not even a guard. Both shinobis had a bad feeling as they jogged towards the exit. And then, Sasuke's crimson eyes saw _it_.

"Sakura, stop!"

He reached out to grab the kunoichi's wrist before she collided with the menace she could not see. Sakura whimpered as the back of her hand touched _it_ , but Sasuke managed barely in time to pull her away from the attack before she would hit it fully. There, a few meters away from the exit door, stood an invisible wall of condensed air.

"Ngh…" Sakura gritted her teeth to suppress her pain. Even if she had merely grazed the air wall, the skin at the back of her hand had been torn off violently so that blood was now covering it instead. She brought up a trembling right hand to try and heal the severe damage, but as expected, it ended up a rather futile attempt. Medical ninjas could heal any bleeding injuries, whether it be internal or external; but one thing they had most difficulty doing was healing their own hands.

"Are you okay?" Haruko asked in a hushed whisper.

Sakura did her best to nod but was more worried about the appearance of this invisible wall than herself at the moment. She saw Sasuke gazing at the door opposite the exit and followed his gaze to find two familiar silhouettes, one of which she had never wanted to confront again.

The pink haired young woman took a step back inwardly, her voice becoming shaky again "H-how? How could you be here? The serum…"

With Yue at his side, Ryokai looked back at her sternly. "So 'Sakura', is it?" He mocked, his tone low, sounding calm and unfazed.

The weakened kunoichi felt her breathing quicken. She tried to persuade herself that he wouldn't do anything to her but her eyes were glued to his bored visage; and the more she looked at it, the scarier it became; even scarier considering that the man before her had nothing to do with the confident seducer she had grown accustomed to, but more with a rash rapist she had failed to see. A tall shadow moved in front of her, katana in hand and blazing red eyes glaring his hardest at the daimyou's son, willing it to be enough to end him right then and there like he oh so wished.

Yue answered Sakura's question in her master's place "With all the snooping you did, I'm surprised you didn't find out that I am a medical ninja." She scoffed disdainfully "I'm immune to your pitiful little sleeping drug, and I had an antidote ready for Ryokai-sama as soon as you left his room."

"Good" Sasuke's deep voice came out ominous and dark, to everyone's surprise "I'll kill him now for all he did." He mumbled the end of his sentence way too low for the two near the living-room door to hear, but his companions understood loud and clear and Sakura let a strangled whisper of his name escape her mouth.

Yue chuckled "And to think you were threatening me the other night! Just look at yourself, you're in no shape to fight."

Sasuke's physical condition wasn't what preoccupied him the most right then since he had plenty of chakra left for long range techniques to compensate for his current lack of mobility. No, seeing as he was the only one fit to fight right now, the most worrisome thing was definitely the silver haired kunoichi's powerful ability. Since Sakura and Haruko couldn't see the wind chakra walls like he could, they would be unable to avoid them. Therefore Sasuke knew himself completely grounded because Yue would instantly attack the two girls behind him if he tried to move away from them. But Sasuke couldn't use his long range jutsus right now either because Yue would be able to block them without difficulty and counterattack with a second, or even a third air wall.

He was completely stuck until she decided to do something.

"What should we do, Ryokai-sama? Yue inquired.

"Hum" He shrugged "I don't care about the Uchiha and the pink haired girl anymore, but don't touch Haruko."

"Very well" The kunoichi replied, her tone deadly cold.

Yue made a few more hand signs before extending her arms in front of her. Sasuke watched two more air walls flying rapidly towards him with widening eyes. An analyze, quick: _'Susano'o? No. Kagutsuchi? Useless. Raiton? No. Only one thing could work.'_ In a split second the stars in Sasuke's left mangekyou sharingan sunk into the darkness of his orbs for purple circles to appear instead. The walls were approaching, but Sasuke stayed rooted on his spot, his hand in front of him _'Shinra Tensei!'_

Sasuke had extended the form of his technique into a semi-circle shaped screen in front of him and the two girls behind. The force of the almighty push was enough to break through Yue's technique, but not counterattack it. They were back on step one.

But the silver haired kunoichi's assaults didn't stop, far from it. With incredible spite and tenacity, she kept summoning more air walls to assault Sasuke from all sides. At first, she wasn't fast enough to take advantage of the five second time span of Shinra Tensei's reloading, but she soon thwarted it and began attacking one wall after the other instead of both at the same time. Having to activate his rinnegan in this fight was already preoccupying for Sasuke, but for him to resort to Amenotejikara to transport himself, Haruko and Sakura away from an attack was dreadful. The two girls had become too much of a burden for him and it became clearly impossible to take the ascendant in this fight while protecting them at the same time, especially since he couldn't really harm his attackers to his heart's content.

Sasuke was recovering from his hurried teleportation when he heard the loud 'clang' of his sword against the marble floor further away. He had thrown it to swap his and the girl's place with it and now, he could only watch as the blade shattered in pieces like glass after it had collided with Yue's lethal air walls. He looked over at Sakura and Haruko under both his arms to check on them; but before he was able to tell whether they were alright or not, he saw another mass of condensed chakra soaring towards them.

Sasuke's rinnegan wasn't ready to teleport them again and he couldn't use Shinra Tensei quickly enough either. So the young Uchiha did the only thing he could think of: He threw Sakura and Haruko as far as he could before facing the air wall and activating Susano'o's ribcage to protect himself.

Sasuke crossed his arms in front of his body to strengthen his guard and prepare for the shock. It came as powerfully as an earthquake against Susano'o's skeleton. Sasuke could only hold on for barely two seconds before his guard broke and he was projected meters away for his back to crash against a column. He felt blood rushing up to his throat before he coughed it harshly, splattering the immaculate floor with dark red as he fell down on all fours.

"Sasuke-kun!" He heard Sakura scramble to his side in a hurry. She raised her hands to his ribs to try healing him but he carefully lowered them with his trembling one. He wouldn't allow her to hurt herself more by his fault.

Ryokai was watching the battle from afar with a bored look still present on his face while Yue, deeply concentrated, was making other hand signs; but before she could finish the two ninjas off, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hall. Haruko moved back to her saviors, placing her body as a shield in front of them. "Stop!" she cried, determined.

"Move now, you fool!" Yue commanded, rather surprised by this unexpected turn of events. She had been ordered to keep this girl unscathed and therefore could not attack if Haruko stayed in front of the enemies.

Haruko shook her head and stayed rooted on her spot. "Why are you doing this? Can't you see that they don't want to hurt you!?"

Haruko was wrong on one point: Sasuke really _wanted_ to kill Ryokai at this precise moment, the only thing was that he _couldn't_ because of what would probably ensue. Even so, the plan was clearly a failure now. Sakura had been attacked before she could try to find an agreement with Ryokai for Haruko's liberation, and in the current situation, Sasuke didn't have any clue how they would manage to run away. Supposing they did, the three would be hunted down: Sakura would be forced to stay in Konoha; Sasuke would constantly be on the run, if not arrested; and Haruko would be brought back to the fortress as soon as the two Leaf shinobis left her in Suiden. It looked a lot like a dead end to Sasuke who suddenly thought of giving up. He shook his head. What would have all this trouble meant if it was to renounce now?

Sakura was holding onto his shoulders while the raven haired shinobi lifted his knee from the ground to stand back up. His mismatched eyes found the daimyou's son walking down the stairway at the end of the room slowly, and towards them. His silhouette glowed from the blue light outside the windows as he directed his gaze to Haruko "Yui…" his whispered tone echoed loud and clear against the walls "Yui, come back now. I'll let them go if you want, just come back here…"

The chestnut haired girl brought a hand up to her heart protectively. "Ever since I came here you've been calling me that…Why…?" She mumbled.

"Haruko, don't listen to him!" Sakura interjected as bravely as her small voice would let her "We won't leave without you!"

Ryokai ignored this interruption "Yui…Yui, stay with me. I won't let you go…"

Haruko burst out in frustration and fear "Stop calling me this! It's my mother's name!"

The daimyou's son stopped abruptly in his tracks, his eyes widening visibly in the dim light. Further away behind him, Yue had her mouth largely agape as well "W-what did you say?"

Haruko glared harshly behind soft features at the silver haired kunoichi, unwilling to repeat herself. Sasuke and Sakura observed the scene without a word, much like Ryokai who was staring emptily at the marble floor.

"I-it can't be!" Yue cried, losing all composure.

"Green eyes…" Ryokai murmured senselessly, though loud enough for everyone to hear in the resounding room "Yui's eyes…The same eyes…green…Yui…"

Yue ran to her master's side a few meters from Haruko and the two Leaf ninjas behind her. She stared at the young girl intently for at least a whole minute. "I thought it was only a vague resemblance at first, but you do look exactly like her…" she let out breathily, as if it had taken all the air from her lungs to have cast away memories of her past resurfacing through Haruko's image. Ryokai dropped to his knees when Yue uttered these simple words "Yui was my younger sister."

The three opposite them looked on in confusion until doubts spilled out from the silver haired kunoichi's mouth "She disappeared during the war two years ago…We though… She's alive then?… In the Fire Country? How come?"

"I-I don't…" Haruko fumbled with her fingers stressfully "Mom came back to the village around that time and…" Yue and Ryokai hung to her every syllable, drinking her words and absorbing the information dripping from them. What shocked the latter the most though, was the end of the girl's sentence "She gave birth soon afterwards."

The silence was complete for heavy, long minutes after this revelation. Ryokai opened his lips to speak then closed them again until at last he found the strength to formulate the question that tugged at the bottom of his heart "H-How…is she?"

Sakura courageously replied in the teenager's place "She wants her daughter back."

These words deeply shocked the blond man crawling on the ground. He lowered his head until his crooked body almost formed a ball. He seemed to be in so much pain right then, with his hands covering his face and his wide, wet eyes that Sakura couldn't help feeling sorry for her aggressor. She didn't know any detail or anything whatsoever about what had happened between Ryokai and Haruko's mother, but she somehow knew that the daimyou's son bore feelings for this woman, feelings that were now tearing his heart open. It was a pain which Sakura could easily remember and so, in spite of all common sense, she found herself being compassionate towards this now miserable man.

Haruko was tearing up as well as she said "The last time I saw her, I think mom was happy."

As a tear silver in color like Yue's hair soundlessly fell from the kunoichi's eye, at her side Ryokai cried out and erupted in a broken sob. For who knows how long, his tears drenched the floor above which his head was hanging, a murmur of Yui's name escaping his mouth every now and then. No one moved an inch during this pitiful display, until eventually, Ryokai stood back up on his feet. His eyes stared attentively at the younger chestnut haired girl's features as if viewing her mother's instead. Then he made his plea throatily, sadly "Tell Yui to write to me as soon as you get home. That's my only request."

And he turned away, limping, as though crawling on two legs towards the living room door without daring to look back.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:** Sorry I'm one day late! Though this chapter is long (5,075 words!) so I hope I'm forgiven!^^_

 _I was afraid after chapter 22 that people would react badly because the last scene was rather shocking, but you guys are awesome! Thank you very very very MUCH for all your support! I will continue to do my best!_

 _Also a special mention to Crystal who took the time to leave a review on a considerable number of chapters! Thank you so much!_

 __Now, the explanation corner:_

 _Yue waited to observe Sasuke and Sakura's plan of action and figure out the best strategy to counterattack, which is why she didn't show up earlier._

 _Katsuyu disappeared because Sakura was nearly knocked out, therefore disrupting her chakra and her technique just long enough (I think it works that way, right?)_

 _I realized as I was correcting this chapter that Sasuke could have thought of using the rinnegan ability that allows to absorb chakra and ninjutsu (that exists, righ? With Pein!). However he couldn't because any contact, even very brief, with the air walls would have torn off his hand. So yeah, he was kinda out of ressources here... Never understimate kunoichis!_

 _That should be it. The mystery is still partly unsolved about Ryokai...Look forward to that in future chapters, though for now, you'll have to wait a little more..._

 _I think you're all gonna like the next chapter.^^_


	24. Part 6 - Chapter 24

_**A.N./:**_ _I was listening to Shirohae from the Shippuden soundtrack while writing this, and as I was correcting it, I played this amazing track from SNK, "Marco's theme" non-stop. Just in case you guys want to get in the mood.^^_

* * *

 _ **FLY AWAY- Part 6 : Daydream**_

 _ **Chapter 24**_

It was that night, after they had rushed back to their hotel room in town after escaping from Ryokai's fortress to pack all of their things hurriedly. Haruko was helping Sakura who seemed to have the most difficulty tidying her things with her wounded hand.

"You can't heal it?" Sasuke asked, turning back to his teammate.

"Oh, that?" Sakura paused from her careful ministrations to glace at the bloodied remainders of skin on the back of her left hand "I could…" she trailed off.

"Then why don't you?" His tone was blank, but low, so as not to sound like he was reprimanding her. In fact, he was deeply concerned and still hated himself for letting her suffer such an injury.

She let out a nervous giggle "I promised Tsunade-sama to only use the 'Creation Rebirth' technique in a life or death situation." Seeing Sasuke's confused charcoal orbs, she laughed quietly again "But I guess you're right, it's really the only way for now…"

Haruko and Sasuke watched the diamond shaped seal on the pink haired medic's forehead enlarge to form some sort of dark flower. They lowered their eyes again to see the red wound on Sakura's hand gradually close and eventually disappear completely, replaced by brand new, delicate, pale skin. By the time the two looked back up, the seal of the Strength of a Hundred had already reverted into a tiny indigo diamond.

Sakura sighed with a small smile on her face "Better." She started putting her medical supplies into her shoulder bag again until Sasuke inquired "Why does Tsunade forbid this technique's use?"

The kunoichi stayed silent under her comrades' attentive gaze. She stood from her bed, straightened the short red qipao dress that she had put back on earlier, grabbed her shoulder bag and turned towards the door to wait for the others. However, before they could join her, she explained nearly in a whisper "This technique speeds up cellular division, therefore it shortens my lifespan." She looked over at Sasuke with the same small smile "But in this case it really couldn't be helped, since I can't heal my hands alone."

It was then, when she disappeared behind the door under his stupefied gaze, that the young Uchiha made an oath to never put her in a situation where she needed to use this technique ever again; because he never wanted to see her hurt even once more.

~O~

It was in the forest, that same night, after the three had left town in hopes of finding another where they would be safe. Sasuke's bandages weren't holding on so well. He had replaced his former navy blue headband –turned dark crimson in color and soaked with blood- with more appropriate bandages, but it seemed the injury made by Rentarou's daggers was not nearly closed yet.

His ribs being far from healed as well, Sasuke was dejected to be the first to collapse while they ran among the trees. Sakura immediately rushed up to him in her own weakened state and knelt beside him. "Why do you hide your wounds all the time!?" She scolded, then in a smaller grumble "What would you say if I did that? Seriously…"

A common agreement was reached to set camp and rest for the night. Hopefully, Ryokai would not have a change of heart and send his men after them…

Sasuke had fought the whole day, been severely injured both physically and mentally and had ran through a good part of the night, yet the thought of letting Sakura heal him horrified him. In his opinion, she deserved and needed to take it easy way more than him. But in the end the medic didn't leave much room for debate and simply pushed her companion–not so gently considering his poor condition- down onto the sleeping mat she had prepared. After a few more complaints, Sasuke laid unmoving as she rolled up his shirt to take care of his ribs and bleeding side.

Sakura stopped for a second to unbuckle his flak jacket and allow herself a larger field of action. Her glowing palms traveled up. They hovered over his chest to swiftly heal every trace of injury they encountered while their owner worked carefully and with a concentrated gaze, a hushed mumble of something intelligible leaving her mouth every now and then. Sasuke felt at ease, like this, simply. He closed his eyes and heard a yawn above him, definitely from Sakura. He didn't have to check with his sharingan to know that the stress of the day had drained the major part of her chakra, so of course she would be tired. So was he.

The next morning, he would wake up to find Sakura curled up on the bare ground, coverless and with her hair disheveled, asleep right beside him. But before that, Sasuke thought of something.

It was then that he figured out protecting his dear teammate wasn't enough for him anymore; he wanted to take care of her.

~O~

It was in a sun filled town near the end of the afternoon the following day. Sakura needed new medical components; Sasuke, new clothes. Seeing as he had been wearing torn rags ever since the clash in the daimyou's son's fortress, even he thought a change of style was in order. As for Haruko, she was absolutely elated to go shopping for the first time in ages; but Sasuke quickly noticed that it didn't seem so for the pink haired medic walking a little further away than usual beside him. Sakura had her head hung low and her gaze on the dusty ground, a posture which hid her emerald irises away from the sun and deprived them of light to the Uchiha's inner chagrin. He took a look around to study all the shops and people in the streets of this western-like, small city. The wooden architecture was very typical of the south of the Lightning Country near the desert, something that would normally have picked Sakura's interest.

"Sakura?" It made her jump when he called her name.

The kunoichi looked up to see Sasuke stare back at her without uttering a word so she took it upon herself to start a conversation. "Look at Haruko, she seems so happy" she commented, pointing at the girl trotting further ahead with a Cheshire cat grin on her freckled face.

Sasuke was still silent. After analysis of her small, tired tone, he could definitely tell that there was something off about his teammate. The last time she had sounded like that was back before they had arrived in Suiden, when she had caught a bad flu. Could it be that she had gotten sick again after a night spent outside? Sasuke didn't think twice before stopping abruptly in his tracks, knowing that Sakura would do the same, and raising a hand to check the temperature of her forehead.

He saw the kunoichi's eyes widen with something akin to… fear? Sakura stepped back abruptly and brought her hands to her heart, struggling to keep her voice steady as she rushed an excuse out of her mouth "I-I'm sorry! I have to go find an apothecary so I'll join up with you and Haruko later, Ok?" Without waiting for his answer, she ran off and disappeared at a crossroad. Sasuke was left standing there in confusion until he eventually decided to let this strange event slide for the time being.

Later on, having bought a brand new attire, Sasuke received quite a few glances from the female population of the town. He hadn't chosen anything fancy, simply dark gray pants accompanied by a loose black shirt with a zipper up to its round collar which he wore under his old gray flak jacket. The zipper didn't go all the way down to his lower hips like the fabric of the shirt, instead leaving an upside down V-shaped opening up to his belt. The long sleeves were also adapted to the season, being much looser than that of his former top and reaching just below his elbows thanks to the few navy blue bands Sasuke had added to hold them up. On his right wrist, he had put a black cloth bracelet to hide his shuriken summoning seal. Considering the deplorable state of his old shoes and having had enough of tying the bands around his calves, Sasuke had also picked a pair of leather black boots with a zipper at the front which reached just under his knees. Sadly, the damage suffered by his bandana was irreversible. Therefore, Sasuke's raven spikes were still kept down onto his neck, but no longer held in place, causing the wind to carelessly play with them. Even so, the young Uchiha already found this new outfit way more practical.

He and Haruko were walking back to the front of the inn in which they had previously checked in to meet Sakura, but as Sasuke brushed a hand through the hair that was falling into his eyes, he heard light titters beside him. Turning to Haruko with a glare that would have normally shut up any reasonable soul, he only received more chortles as an answer "You shouldn't do that you know," she said in between two fits of laughter "Sakura will get jealous."

Sasuke huffed at first, but soon discovered a group of girls staring at him and giggling on the opposite side of the street. He didn't care; he was never self-conscious when it came to women. He'd never change his attitude or his tone for any of them …Except maybe when he had gently questioned Sakura the other night so as not to startle her after her traumatizing experience, or even when he did so just because he wanted to be nice to her…

It was then that he realized he only cared about Sakura and her thoughts; he knew there was something up with her, and he wanted nothing more than to help.

But by admitting all these things, wasn't it clear that Sasuke had…Maybe he was actually…Could it really be that…?

~O~

Sakura had been avoiding him for the past three days after Sasuke had come to terms with his _thoughts_ –he dared not call them anything else. He had noticed that she had started acting rather distantly with him ever since their stop at the town near the edge of the desert. Now, after they had walked by the sea the whole day, the small party had settled down at the border of a green forest on a plateau which overlooked the waves rolling over the sand on the shore. Haruko had insisted that they stayed there because of the beautiful scenery, and considering that the Land of Hot Water was a shinobi-less nation, Sasuke –the most experienced wanderer out of the three- had deemed this place safe enough. However, Sakura who had been craving for adventure and new sights a few weeks ago wasn't gaping in awe or conversing with Haruko about the landscape like the raven haired ninja would have expected her to. She was sitting next to the camp fire, her gaze lost in the distance of the waves; but she wasn't smiling, wasn't even looking at the horizon. Her eyes were empty, void of the light that Sasuke was so used to watch in them. It seemed that even their bright emerald color had faded and withered like a waterless flower to finally turn into the sad shade of a ran aground seaweed.

It pained Sasuke to see her like that. She had not said a word since they had set camp and he couldn't understand what was wrong with her. She was usually the talkative one out of them two, but now with only Haruko to make for a conversation, the young man had to pass.

The sun was setting now, making fiery crimson beads of light shine on the surface of the sea, as if it were set ablaze by the illusion of contact between the solar orb and the water far away in the horizon. There was red of course, but also gold and pink and purple, like a rainbow nearing the night. Even Sasuke had to admit that this was one of the most beautiful sunsets he had ever bothered to behold, but Sakura's hollow eyes weren't directed towards the waves anymore; she hadn't even stood up like her teammate and Haruko. Instead of leaning against a tree like the former or jumping around while gesturing to the clouds like the overexcited latter, she was crouching on the ground to tidy their dishes. Sasuke grew deeply annoyed by this unnatural behavior. It was not like her at all! Sakura Haruno would never care about the dishes if she didn't have to!

He simply couldn't stand it, so even if he found it ridiculous from him, Sasuke walked up to the oblivious kunoichi, bent down and grabbed her hand to pull her up. She let out a squeak and cringed once she found herself standing beside her teammate who would not let go of her hand. Sasuke spared her a rapid glance then turned away to watch the scarlet sun that painted the same color on his face and said "Look."

Sakura seemed puzzled by his actions – he didn't blame her, even he would have been perplexed had he been in her shoes. The pink haired medic looked briefly at the sunset "Yeah, it's nice…" she trailed off. Then after a short pause she stuttered "C-can you… l-let go?"

Her eyes were fixing his hand firmly holding hers. He wasn't leaving her be, especially after such an out of character reaction. _'What's wrong? Did I hurt her? Do I scare her?'_ were the kind of questions filling Sasuke's mind and until she provided an answer, he would not let her go. His gaze combined with a slightly tighter hold on her hand conveyed such thoughts as he turned back to find Sakura's distressed form before his eyes. Her green orbs were downcast under a nervous frown, her free arm hugging her waist, her teeth biting her bottom lip. It looked like she was starting to shake a little too. Brows lifting up above his bewildered charcoal eyes, Sasuke instantly relaxed his grip on the girl's hand. Sakura exploited this moment of inattention to snatch it away and step back, but even as she spoke, she refused to look at him "I-I'll go find some more wood…or the fire will die out soon."

Before Sasuke had time to protest, Sakura all but escaped in the shadows of the trees. He stood alone on his spot, a complete worried mess.

Having witnessed the whole ordeal between the two shinobis from afar, Haruko purposefully took a few minutes to walk back to the camp and sit down on the ground next to Sasuke who was glaring at the fire in front him that clearly didn't need more wood to continue burning. Although she had only known Sakura and Sasuke for a couple of days, it didn't take a genius to figure out they had a problem, and she would be damned if she didn't at least try to help. This was simply who she was: Haruko wanted to assist people no matter what -probably a trait that had served to draw others to her in her time back in Suiden.

"Do you know what's wrong with Sakura?" The olive eyed girl inquired, her tone genuinely concerned.

Sasuke didn't bother to reply with his trademark 'hn'. _'Would I be there if I knew?'_

"You don't?" Haruko didn't give up.

This time, Sasuke growled out a low "No" in response. She was driving him round the bend with her silly questions. He didn't know what had happened with Sakura, she didn't have to remind him!

But she surprised him by immediately replying, a hand on her hip to scold him "Then what are you waiting for to go and ask her!?"

Sasuke looked up sternly, unconvinced "She would've already told me by now."

"You don't know!" Haruko countered fiercely "Maybe you need to insist a little more!"

As disturbed with Sakura's behavior as he was, Sasuke didn't care anymore about his façade and argued "She would just end up crying if I did!" He recalled her trembling form a few minute earlier. If Haruko had seen it, she couldn't refute this statement.

Surprisingly, the girl sighed, as though desperate about the case of her 'patient'. She pouted at Sasuke "Maybe, but it's up to you to make her smile afterwards."

Sasuke couldn't believe it. This girl he had met barely a week ago was basically playing life-counselor with him. But strangely, her argument made sense. Sensing that she needed only one more little push to vanquish, Haruko urged him on once more "Come on, go find her already!"

The young Uchiha hated others to dictate his behavior, but what he hated most was to imagine Sakura walking aimlessly in the forest, alone with her distressing thoughts. So he gave a low "Hn", made a few hand signs before placing his palm on the ground for a medium sized snake with dark blue scales to appear behind the smoke of the Kuchiyose no jutsu. Haruko screamed in horror beside him, but Sasuke merely stood up, ordering the summon to watch over her while he was gone. The girl seemed even more freaked out when the snake slithered an obedient "Yesss Ssasssuke." Despite Haruko's shriek, the raven haired ninja didn't regret this choice in the least -he would not have wanted a kage bunshin to go through her incessant chatter only for him to recover all of its memories later on and suffer a terrible headache.

Sasuke stormed in the direction of the trees. They seemed to all be the same in the dimming light, but he couldn't have cared less when he had assigned himself a new S-rank mission: find and help Sakura. Thankfully, the trees' foliage in this region was not as thick as that of the species in the land of Fire; actually, those around Sasuke were mainly high, thin silver birches among which a few larger oaks and bushes were dispersed. Sasuke's footsteps and the wind making leaves quiver were the only sound to be heard as he ran; the young man realized then that he couldn't track Sakura's chakra, most likely because she had suppressed it. She didn't want to be found but it wouldn't stop him from looking.

The night was falling and Sasuke could see the bright light of the nearly full moon rising up above the forest. It shone through the silvery trunks of the trees -so brightly that he needn't even activate the sharingan to see perfectly- and cast elegant shadows on the ground and all round him. By looking up west towards the sound of the waves, Sasuke could make out the line of smoke drifting up from the camp fire near the shore. It was late now, maybe Sakura had already come back. Besides, he had already explored a good part of the forest.

For some reason, he briefly thought of Naruto's trademark obstinacy at this moment. He was sure that his blond best friend would have kept looking for hours until he found Sakura –or not- before being dragged back to the camp. So Sasuke set his mind on his goal again and progressed further into the woods in search of his teammate, his determination unwavering like Naruto's.

He reached an area where the trees were less numerous. The grass had become blue because of the moon's light; the little white daisies amidst it colored in silver like the tree's bark. But what caught Sasuke's attention was the pink haired girl hugging her knees at the bottom of one of the silver birches. She had heard him come and was now observing him in confusion as he stopped his jog to plunge his eyes into hers.

"S-Sasuke-kun…" she began, obviously shocked by his sudden appearance "I was about to go back, you didn't need to come all the way here."

"I wanted to talk" he answered blankly, though his serious gaze told her that he clearly meant 'privately'.

Sakura found the courage to stand up and face him despite her dread of what was to come. The kunoichi knew what he would want to talk about and therefore chose not to speak until he did –she wasn't about to start the conversation that would lead to her own demise.

Finally the young man declared "You've been acting strange lately." No reply after a couple of seconds, as expected. He cut straight to the chase "Tell me what's wrong."

After meeting his obsidian eyes for about two seconds, Sakura found great interest in the grass at her feet. Those deep black orbs of his were so sincere, so full of concern. Why did they have to be like that at a time like this? At any normal time, she would have spilled all the answers those eyes wanted to know without a second thought, but now…however selfish it might seem, she didn't want to suffer the price.

"Sakura" Sasuke called her name, though it seemed she wouldn't reply. In order to help, he needed to insist, to try and coax her. "You're always the one telling me to share my thoughts and now you don't even listen to your own advice."

He watched her bring her hands up over her heart –he had noticed she always did this when she got nervous. A quiet "I'm sorry" escaped her lips.

"If you are, tell me" Sasuke persevered and strode closer to the pink haired medic. Sakura didn't lift up her gaze until he tentatively reached out for her shoulder. Then, she instantly jumped and shook herself free of his touch with a whimper. "D-don't touch me! Please…" she pleaded once a good two meters away from him.

Sasuke dropped his hand at his side "This is exactly what I mean" His voice was low and calm as always although he was honestly shocked by her reaction of fear. "What happened for you to be so scared of me? Did I…?"

"No! No…" Sakura quickly interrupted "It's not your fault…" she trailed off, bringing her hands back to her heart protectively.

Sasuke clenched a fist at his side in frustration "Then what?"

Sakura shook her head back and forth slowly, murmuring "I can't" over and over under her breath. Staying as composed as he could, Sasuke asked "why" she couldn't say it, but she still wouldn't answer. He repeated his question again and again until finally she burst out, eyes squeezed shut and fists clenching the fabric of her dress over her chest "Because I don't want to get hurt!"

She was on the verge of tears, it was plainly visible with the moon illuminating the crystal-shiny water in her viridian orbs. Sakura apologized once more, wiping her tears away with the back of her right hand as the other struggled to relax a little on her heart. But Sasuke wasn't convinced by this argument, he even found it intangible as he replied in his usual earnest tone "I won't hurt you."

Sakura gasped at that. She didn't look up at him, but didn't ask him to repeat himself either. Was this a promise? No, Sasuke never made promises. But then, could she believe him? She wanted to, badly…

"Sakura, I'm asking you," this would be his last try "tell me what's wrong."

She raised her eyes for a short moment to study the young man's stern expression before her, and then briskly turned her back to him. Sasuke thought that this was it and that he had failed to help her once again. This was probably what he oh so lacked compared to Naruto; he was powerless when it came to those things, the most important ones. But suddenly he parted with his thoughts. When he almost lost hope, she began speaking in a small, shy voice that he barely recognized "I-I…It's all my fault."

He waited patiently for her to carry on –he knew she would. "I know it will sound selfish, and you'll probably hate me after I'm done but…" Sakura took in a deep breath to finally confess "I did my best. I really did, back in the fortress…"

Sasuke immediately tensed, knowing exactly what she was referring to. For a second he really wanted to stop her, imagining how painful it must be to recall all those terrible memories. But Sakura held on and continued "I let Ryokai touch me and…he almost raped me…" Sasuke gritted his teeth as an image of her broken form that night flashed in his mind at these words "Ever since then I… I feel disgusted with myself."

The Uchiha's jaw slackened a little as he stared incredulously at her back, unable to believe such thing. Sakura was silent for a moment, dreading the next part of her speech. Now that she had begun, she needed to finish, and so, resigned, she continued in a tone as steady as her aching heart would allow "I was so weak and scared that I couldn't do anything back then! At first I didn't know how to deal with it either, but now, I can't look at myself without remembering the marks he left on my body! …And I start to think… If I disgust myself…i-is it…the same for you…too?" She held back the tears prickling at the corner of her eyes but her voice still shook more and more with every word "D-do you even stand my presence anymore? A-am I good enough… n-now…after what happened? You know… since I… I can't accept myself… H-how could you accept me?"

Silence fell in the woods as Sakura couldn't keep her tears from falling anymore. She cried desperately, knowing that she had completely broken her strong façade just like that, in the span of a minute. "E-even now, after all this time… I can only cry…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry!" The kunoichi wept, tearing one hand away from her shattering heart to wipe the tears rolling down her cheeks. But as she did, a new flow came instantly afterwards to ruin all her efforts -predictably so. Sakura made a sound between a bitter laugh and a wail "I-I'll go back to Konoha on my own, i-if you prefer…" She apologized one last time before silence swept over them once again.

Minutes passed and Sakura started doubting whether Sasuke was still there to watch her pathetically cry her heart out or not. With salty water still streaming from her eyes, she turned around slowly, hesitantly, and found him making his way to her, as though he had been waiting for her to look back at him. Sasuke halted very close to Sakura, making her flinch a little, but then he grabbed her arms strongly and she whimpered. He wasn't hurting her -his hold was actually firm and very careful at the same time- but she was still too weak, too fragile to endure his contact.

As if reading the pink haired girl's mind, Sasuke said sternly "Don't tell me not to touch you. You'd regret it." Confusion was added to the mix of fat tears and apprehension in Sakura's puffy red eyes as he stared deeply into them with his own mystifying obsidian orbs. These eyes were blank at first, but soon, Sakura could see many emotions appearing inside them, as if Sasuke had let the windows to his soul wide open just this once. There was care, a tinge of worry, admiration, a bit of pain and genuine… Sakura wondered what the last thing was. She had never seen it in the rare occasions when she could tell Sasuke's feelings through his eyes. It wasn't the rage from cruel battles nor the fright from horrible traumas…But then what?

"Forget all you said…" He suddenly declared, then paused. But without hesitation, he leaned down closer to Sakura's face and brought a hand up to the back of her head for their foreheads to touch. A soft gasp escaped her mouth before she completely lost her voice. His hand curled in her smooth pink locks carefully, his nose brushed against hers delicately; she could feel his breath fanning over her slightly parted lips when he spoke again, his voice lowering to the most honest and gentlest tone she had ever heard from him "…I could only accept you."

Sakura desperately searched for answers into his eyes with her wide tearful ones. _'It can't be…He couldn't mean…'_ All coherent thought vanished from her mind when Sasuke leaned further down and closed the distance between their lips. Suddenly. All at once. He was kissing her.

Sakura didn't dare close her eyes; they widened even more instead. She couldn't process anything, could barely make sense of the lips moving slowly against her own. Sakura wasn't ready for it -she hadn't had the time take in anything- but all too soon it was over. Sasuke moved back only an inch but she could no longer respond to his short, tender kiss. She could only stare in the terrible state of bafflement he had put her in.

First, she heard him breathe a quiet breath close to her lips, then came the sound of her heart, brought back to life after it had been broken to pieces. It gradually beat faster in her chest as she watched Sasuke stand back straight in front of her, his hand untangling from her hair, the other one letting her arm go limp by her side. He looked at her with clouded black eyes; and suddenly Sakura heard her heart beat louder and louder, reaching not only her ears, but pulsating throughout her whole body, through the hot blood in her veins that coursed with unadulterated love for the man before her. She felt it. The aftermath. It couldn't be a dream, it simply couldn't.

Sasuke was still standing there without uttering a word as she gaped at him. These feelings, these sensations…Sakura wanted them again, to feel them properly, just in case she had imagined the answer to the question she had asked herself earlier. In his eyes, it looked like _love._

Sakura lunged at him to embrace his neck with her arms; and Sasuke didn't stir as she closed all distance between them, moved her lips fast against his, willing every ounce of her passion and love to seep through this kiss before it had to be over. All thoughts were blocked from her mind but she was growing desperate. Desperate not to be the only one to feel this good, desperate not to wake up from this dream, desperate to be loved after all these years, desperate for her hopes and heart not to shatter again.

The tears started falling again from her tightly closed eyes, but then, a warm hand traveled up to wipe them away from her cheek. Sasuke kissed her back, and Sakura felt like her heart would burst as it beat almost as hard as his.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Again a long chapter! I'm a bit late though because of that French homework I had to do... I hope you guys liked it nonetheless!_

 _Some were starting to get bored with serious themes in this story. I hope that after this, things will be looking up.^^_

 _For Sasuke's new outfit, you can refer to Kishimoto's version of him in the Last (which is soooooo nice~)_

 _Thank you all again for supporting this story! This exceeded 20,000 views! You guys are awesome!_

 _As always, feel free to comment! I would especially like to hear your feedback for this chapter. :)_


	25. Part 6 - Chapter 25

_**FLY AWAY- Part 6 : Daydream**_

 _ **Chapter 25**_

How surprised Sasuke was when he came back to the camp with Sakura to find Haruko having a friendly chat with his summoned snake. The pink haired kunoichi on the other hand, seemed quite amused by it.

It was the girls' turn to be taken aback a few days later when they stopped by the Uchiha clan's secret gunsmith's shop to meet Neko-baa and her horde of talking cats. Sasuke had been in need of a new blade, so he chose a one similar to his previous one: a fully black and thin chokuto, only with a small, dark Uchiha crest engraved on each face of the handle. Something outstanding however, was that Haruko managed to get along well with the ninja cats to a point where she didn't risk having her hand torn to bits for petting them.

And so, the journey back to Suiden had rather well begun. Actually, _more_ than well on Sasuke's part; he hadn't seen Sakura so radiant in years. After some two days of traveling and attentiveness on the young man's part, she had begun smiling genuinely again. Sakura gradually turned back into her normal self, only more joyful if possible. Every night she installed her sleeping mat close to her 'boyfriend's', always walked right beside him with an inerasable grin on her face when morning came… To her, it probably felt like a dream come true (because it was, really) and Sasuke couldn't have been more glad to see her this happy. He thought himself way too lucky.

The three travelers were currently fifty miles away at the east of Konoha in the Fire country. It was barely four in the afternoon but none were on the road -in fact, Sakura was the only one missing out of the three. She had gone to the nearest village to send a letter to Konoha as well as buy some more provisions, medical components (just in case) and a new map –Sasuke's old one had left this world for a better place after an escapade near the sea's salty waters. The young Uchiha had refused to come along in hopes of being alone without Haruko's constant babbling to give him a headache, but to his utmost dismay, the girl had insisted on staying at the camp with him for some unknown reasons -in truth, Sasuke strongly suspected that she enjoyed poking fun at him.

So there they were, sitting in front of each other and separated by the camp fire Sasuke was preparing to busy himself. Having set camp in a small basin in between four hills down the road, the two were kept away from sight by the high, thin grass and wild flowers surrounding them. The dark haired young man finished expertly positioning stones in a circle before moving on to the wood he had previously picked up with Haruko's help; all the while she studied him, a slight pout adorning her features.

"How long will it take for us to reach my village?" She suddenly spoke up.

Sasuke remained silent for as long as he was still placing the twigs, but then said without looking up from his work "We should reach it in about five days now."

Haruko sat straighter as a grin sneaked its way to her lips. "I want to be back already! I miss everyone!" She exclaimed. Predictably, the young shinobi in front of her gave no answer, so she assumed –wrongly- that it was alright for her to carry on babbling to her heart's content "I want to see my mother, my little brothers and the rest of my family of course, but there are also the other villagers! I used to get along with _all_ of them! Sometimes I helped out to collect wood in the forest –we sell it to the neighboring towns, that's our main activity you see- or I played with the youngsters while their parents were working…I also used to give my aunt a hand at the inn whenever travelers passed by –didn't I already tell you that? Anyway, it was pretty fun!"

By then, Sasuke had long stopped listening. In the past week he had already heard all about Haruko's jobs, from the time she had spent a day trying to find a missing cat in the forest –oh, the nostalgia- to the one where she had supervised her brother's best friend's cousin's archery training. Not to mention how she always ran from village to village all the time to transmit messages or carry all kinds of items. No wonder people in the region liked her: she helped out whenever she was asked to and no matter what.

"…I never went to Konoha though. I wish I could, it sounds like a very big city from what Sakura told me! That's decided: I'll come for you guys' wedding!" Sudden astonishment didn't allow Sasuke enough time to suppress the strangled sound which left his mouth at this light-hearted promise. All he could do was cover it up with a clearing of his throat the next second, while Haruko, oblivious, was still talking on and on "'Till then, I'll make sure you are well received in Suiden! We could organize a gigantic party with lots of food like a banquet! And there would also be a dance and we'd invite the people from all the neighboring villages. It'd be nice, wouldn't it? I'm sure you'd also like to see our archers at work! They are the best in the whole country and…"

Sasuke quickly recovered "I've already seen them" he interrupted in a low snarl, massaging his temple openly.

"You have?" Haruko didn't seem to get the implication of these words. "Then you've probably met Aoi! She looks like a boy among the archers because she's got short hair and wears the uniform, but she's actually a girl and my best friend! We used to get along so well, like real sisters, you know!? I remember that one time when…"

Sasuke was currently having an inner battle on whether to endure Haruko's babbling like a dutiful bodyguard, yell for her to shut the hell up, or to simply go away. The first option was supposedly the 'good' one, since he couldn't leave the girl he had had so much trouble saving alone in the middle of nowhere with no one to watch over her in case bandits or such appeared. However, the Uchiha's growing headache was starting to play a major role in his final decision after the first fifteen minutes of her monologue were past.

Ten more and Sasuke's resolve broke. Reluctantly detaching his hand from his searing forehead, the shinobi made a few hand signs and placed his palm flat on the ground. As Haruko marveled at the apparition of her snake pal, she barely noticed Sasuke standing up and walking away. When she did he was already waist deep among the high grass "Hey, wait! Where are you going?" She asked with saucer like eyes –he would miss the rest of her story if he left now!

"To get some fresh air" he grumbled with his hand back on his forehead.

Haruko frowned in wonder "Fresh air? But we've been outside this whole time…" When the chestnut haired girl looked up at this realization, she only saw the grass dancing with the breeze; Sasuke was already gone.

It took him about eight minutes to find the ideal spot far enough from Haruko and the road. He observed his surroundings a while longer then sat down on a hillside. All around him was green, green grass and a few odd wild flowers –poppies, dandelions and daisies. The grass was dancing with the wind's strokes, forming ripples like waves that washed over the meadows and up the hills; it was not a harsh wind though, but merely a fresh breeze that provided just enough cool air in this sunny afternoon. Apart from the sound of it dancing through the leaves in the few trees by the road further behind the hillside, Sasuke could hear nothing but the calm and peace he oh so loved.

The young Uchiha let himself relax and lean back down on the grass. Above him, fluffy white clouds drifting by the light azure heavens met his gaze. _'Much better'_ he thought, placing his arm over his aching forehead to ease the pain as well as shield his eyes from the sun. Sasuke let his eyelids drop close; and he was perfectly at ease for a while, almost to the point where he could have fallen asleep. But thoughts of a certain pink haired girl kept him awake. He wondered if she was doing fine in town or if she had already come back to the camp to join Haruko -whose endless speeches she could actually survive to his greatest admiration. It kind of reminded him of the time when he had been traveling alone after the war, when he often found himself wondering about how she and Naruto were doing in Konoha. Now that the pink haired girl was by his side, he didn't need to worry about her anymore.

It was probably a good thing _'Yeah, probably.'_ With Sakura around, he was able to protect her at the best of his abilities. No one would touch her or hurt her as long as he was there. But wasn't this…a dangerous promise? Sasuke had been powerless back in Ryokai's fortress; he even doubted he would have been able to win against Yue at the time considering the circumstances. So if Sakura ended up in danger in spite of his best efforts, what would happen?

Thinking of it, if he had killed Ryokai at the time, what would the consequences have been? Being hunted down? Imprisoned? Sentenced to death? Indeed, Sasuke couldn't afford to lose his mind like that another time or all his efforts to redeem himself would be reduced to nothing; though his inner voice immediately found a smart comeback at these thoughts: _'I would do anything for Sakura.'_ And it was true. So true that he had been on the verge of mindlessly slaughtering the Lightning daimyou's son back then to avenge her. After all, this was who he was: an avenger. Nothing would be able to change that, even now.

But the worst, the thing that scared him the most of all was not to lose himself in the curse of hatred all over again or to be despised by the whole world. It was to lose Sakura.

This was one of the cheesiest and most selfless thought Sasuke had had in his whole life, but he cringed at it. He didn't want to reach such conclusion, he didn't want to admit it, but was it even deniable at this point? Sakura made him…

"I didn't expect to find you napping, Sasuke-kun" a gentle feminine voice came from beside him.

The raven haired ninja recognized it at once and sat up to meet the beautiful emerald eyes of Sakura Haruno. "I'm not" he replied blankly. Sasuke leaned back on his left arm while he held his forehead with the other, slightly rubbing it with his thumb.

"I see Haruko's ultimate jutsu has struck again" the medic giggled as she sat down on the grass as well.

Sasuke only growled in response, which was followed by more giggles on the girl's part. He caught her beaming expression from the corner of his eye, but instantly directed his gaze down at his bent right knee when his earlier thoughts came back to him. Sasuke did his best to keep his face void of emotion and thankfully was successful as Sakura suggested "I could make you some herb tea for headaches if you want?"

"No thanks" he replied right away, remembering the sad excuse of an herb tea she had given him back at Tazuna's. Honestly, it had tasted almost worse than Kabuto's potions -which was quite a performance– but he wasn't about to tell her that.

Sakura pouted "I know it doesn't taste very good, but it _is_ effective."

"Hn" Sasuke shook his head slowly in fear that the pain would worsen. He would not suffer both Haruko's demonic babbling and Sakura's weird potions in one day. "It'll go away soon" he assured her nonetheless.

The kunoichi kept pouting for a minute as the Uchiha's eyes remained fixed on his knee. Then a thought crossed her mind, an old fantasy that Inner Sakura had most likely pushed all the way back to her brain for her outer self to blush dark pink. _C'mon! You've always wanted to do that, you know it!'_ Inner Sakura encouraged. She contemplated the thought for a moment: ' _It's a good idea…or a bad idea. No, a very bad idea! What will he say if I do that? It's not…But wait, I actually could. Why not? After all, I can do it now…'_ to which Inner Sakura enthusiastically replied ' _Shannaro! You go girl!'_

It scared Sakura how her inner self tended to sound more and more like Ino over the years. Nevertheless, she took a determined breath and set her plan into action. "Sasuke-kun" she called.

The pink haired medic waited until he turned his head, then stood up on her knees and reached out with her arms for the back of his neck. Sasuke seemed surprised by the sudden contact, but all the more when she gently pushed his head towards her chest to cradle it. Sakura had made sure that she was tall enough to nest his head in the crook of her neck, so that his forehead was on the base of her shoulder and his nose near her collar bone. She had left her hands buried in Sasuke's raven locks to hold him while her cheek brushed the top of his head. The kunoichi quivered slightly as she felt his warm breath separated from her skin only by the thin fabric of her dress "It'll heal faster like this" she whispered.

Sasuke stayed perplex for a moment, but then his mind blanked, getting rid of the dark thoughts from earlier so that they could be replaced by his immediate feelings _'She's too good for me…'_ he closed his eyes slowly '… _but she's probably right.'_ Sasuke stayed silent for a second longer until a loud, rapid thumping sound reached his ears and he let out a quiet chuckle. Sakura stuttered a "what" of wonder at his reaction but he merely nuzzled his cheek against her collar bone before replying "Your heart is beating louder than Haruko could ever talk."

Sakura gasped in both shock and embarrassment at this, her cheeks turning a shade darker than the few poppies in the grass near them. Her instinctive reaction was to push him away, but she noticed that she couldn't at the feeling of a large hand on her back holding her tightly. "T-then why do you stay there? Shannaro…!" She nervously mumbled.

Being this close, Sasuke heard her loud and clear. He decided to have a little more fun. Since when had he been so playful? Maybe ever since Sakura had lowered her defenses around him… It was a mistake she would probably not repeat, so why not take advantage of this rare occasion?

Sasuke retreated from Sakura's embrace and stared up at her blankly. How difficult it was for him to suppress the smirk tugging at his lips at the sight of her blushing cheeks and flustered expression. He held her gaze, so that she didn't notice his other hand snaking its way to her belt. She jumped when he suddenly unbuckled it. Sakura gaped in utter confusion as she watched him discard it to the side. "Sasu-" her voice faded once she felt warm hands running on her back. She made no more movement after one settled around her waist and the other at the back of her neck, tracing light circles on this latter spot with his thumb that sent shivers down her spine. All the while, she observed her teammate's eyes gradually darken with… _'No way, no way, no way, he can't be thinking what I'm thinking that he thinks! There's no way he would…!'_

Sasuke suddenly pushed her head against his chest as he leaned backwards dangerously. They fell a second later and Sakura's thoughts evaporated only to burst again like fireworks when she realized that she was squashing him. She supported herself with her elbows and knees and, scarlet red, met dark onyx depths right below her. Her hands had landed on each side of his head and her knees were straddling one of his legs while her form hovered a few inches above his warm, welcoming body. She gasped, but quickly processed what was happening. Sasuke's left hand was still on her waist, encouraging the kunoichi to place her right one on his shoulder and cling onto his shirt to bring her torso even closer to him. Her heart hammered in her ears and spread heat all over her senses while she leaned down towards his lips, prepared for what would follow -or so she thought.

The pink haired medic-nin was stopped about two inches away from her lover's lips by two calloused fingers gently pressing onto her mouth. Her halfway closed lids snapped open in surprise to find Sasuke's glinting obsidian eyes and a devilish smirk on the lips she had been trying to kiss. "Maybe next time, Sakura" he whispered, wry.

The girl blinked, twice, then shrieked and hastily wriggled away from the young man below her. Before turning her back to him, she punched his shoulder in irritation "What the hell! I thought…My belt! You…! Shannarooo!"

Sasuke sat back up to rub his poor shoulder –even without chakra, Sakura's punches had always been deadly. As she sat cross legged and cross armed beside him, he could clearly see the end of her ears turning beet red, most likely the same color as the rest of her face. Even if the result of his improvised prank was quite funny to observe, Sasuke slightly regretted the absence of her warm body against his own now. "Sakura" he called. No response. He repeated her name and this once she turned her head to glare at him over her shoulder "Next time I'll punch you with my full…!" She stopped mid-sentence as the Uchiha reached up to peck the diamond on her forehead. The kunoichi still looked mildly-annoyed when he moved back to stare at her, but it was all replaced by surprise when he leaned back down to lay on the grass, his hand grabbing hers in the process.

Sakura had to turn around to follow Sasuke's movement since he wouldn't let go of her hand, but even then she defiantly stayed on all fours –minus the hand that Sasuke yanked to his chest- motionless next to him. She wasn't moving and that was final. The young man sighed, defeated, and said in his low, deep voice "Come 'ere."

He barely caught her gaze for a second before looking away at the clouds but he could tell she was stunned. It wasn't every day that the proud survivor of the Uchiha clan asked for some affection from his dear teammate. Sakura was always the one to initiate it after all! Not to mention he had never been known as a prankster, so seeing him having fun… But then again, she was mad at Sasuke, so she wouldn't give him what he wanted so easily. The pink haired girl squeezed her eyes shut in a huff and turned to face away from him.

"…Please."

Sakura's eyes widened as she whipped her head back to the young man "Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" she asked in shock.

Growling, he used this opportunity to tug on the pink haired girl's wrist a little more strongly so that she lost her balance. Sakura fell with her upper body on top of his, but as she looked up to her teammate with newborn annoyance, she couldn't miss the pink blush on Sasuke's turned away cheek. She stared at the part of his face that she could see for a long while, wondering if this wasn't too good to be real; but ever since that night in the silver birch forest, she knew none of it was a dream. Sakura stilled then sighed, unable to continue this silly quarrel anymore with the tender feeling welling up in her chest. A small genuine smile graced her lips _'He can be so cute.'_

Sakura shifted to lie more comfortably with her head on Sasuke's left shoulder, her body close to his side on the grass and her legs curled up next to his. She kept her right arm against her torso and the other on her lover's chest where he held it to his heart. "Stupid" she muttered near the exposed skin of his neck. A contented "Hn" was Sasuke's sole reply as he snaked his left arm around the kunoichi's waist. He was just about ready to let his eyes drop close when Sakura decided to speak again.

"How do you do it?" She inquired with her soft, quiet tone back, sounding a little sleepy.

Sasuke lifted a curious eyebrow "Do what?"

It took her a few moments to respond "…Your heartbeat is so calm…"

The raven hared shinobi didn't reply immediately. The breeze brushed the grass and the two ninjas' hair into their faces, but he wasn't bothered by it. Sasuke felt good, more at peace than he had been in a long time, maybe than he had ever been. He caught a glimpse of pink hair under his chin, then felt a small hand shift beneath his own. Sakura was about to move it to put her hair behind her ear but before she could, he brought his up and reached for Sakura's face to find silky, windblown tresses on the way to her cheek. He delicately brushed them away, caressing her ear and temple at the same time. "It's because you're here that I can be…so calm" he answered in his warmest, most heartfelt tone.

After a few seconds he felt Sakura's body turn more onto him. She nuzzled her head closer to his neck, her fingers clutching a little more on his shirt. Soon she relaxed, and he relished in the feeling of her breath fanning onto his neck that no gentle spring breeze could equal. Sasuke brought her closer to inhale her sweet, flowery scent. He closed his eyes. This young woman… he needed her to be happy, he needed her in his life, he needed her smile, he needed her safe.

That was why Sakura made him so dangerous.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _People wanted me to lighten up the atmosphere, I hope this wil do!^^_

 _I would like to thank all my reviewers again and especially ssmiyasan and the guest reviewer who actually defended me against an anon. I was really touched, thank you. :')_

 _Not much more to say...Tell me what you thought! I'm always deligheted to read your reviews!_


	26. Part 6 - Chapter 26

_**FLY AWAY- Part 6 : Daydream**_

 _ **Chapter 26**_

Sakura jumped away from the road just in time to avoid the spears that had been thrown at her and her two companions. By a tree on the other side of the path, she could see Sasuke who had hastily taken Haruko under his arm and dodged as well. The kunoichi didn't have time to sigh in relief as a group of ten bandits came charging at them.

They divided themselves into two parties so that Sakura now had five dirty-looking, dagger-armed men surrounding her. Wisely but without much patience, she waited for them to stop snickering and attack her –it was always best to counterattack efficiently than to be taken aback because of carelessness. All at once, the bandits lunged at her. Sakura gathered chakra in her legs and leaped backwards in a graceful somersault to land in a crouching position vertically on the trunk of a tree behind her. From this height, the medic-nin gave a strong push of her legs and jumped as a predator, fast and supple like a jaguar diving on its preys. Her attackers were only looking up from their earlier assault at the roar of a ferocious "Shaaannarooo!"

Sakura landed with a devastating crash on the ground, breaking the earth into pieces as easily as the thin glass of a vase with the punch of a Hundred's Strength. The cloud of dust created by the impact soon dissipated to reveal the pink haired kunoichi crouching on the ground with her fist still stuck in it and her victims knocked out among the fragments of rock and earth around her. She looked up and saw three more men -probably back-ups- standing before her wide-eyed, completely frozen on the spot. One of them blinked out of his shock and charged blindly with a loud battle cry but Sakura simply shifted her position to aim a low rotary kick at his legs and make him eat the dirt. The bandit laboriously got back on his feet to find Sakura already standing a few meters behind him, cracking her knuckles with a devilish smirk on her face. She took a step towards him and he cowered in fear with a high-pitched whimper. But suddenly his posture changed and Sakura opened slightly curious eyes.

There was a whistling sound coming from the trees a bit to the bandit's right. The speed of the attack gave Sakura barely the time to notice the long dagger flying with precise aim towards her before a metallic 'clang' replaced the 'weesh' from earlier. Sasuke had appeared at lightning's speed in front of her and blocked the weapon using his thunder-strengthened kusanagi. Before Sakura could even blink he had vanished out of her sight towards the trees. A cry of pain was heard a second later, followed by the heavy fall of a body on the ground. Then the Uchiha reappeared behind Sakura's previous bold attacker and hit him hard at the back of his head with the handle of his sword. The man fell limp, unconscious on the road like the rest of his comrades whom Sasuke had taken care of earlier.

The raven haired young man glanced at Sakura further beside him as she dusted herself off and mumbled, pouting "I could totally have dodged that…"

"Hn" was all he voiced, the slightest smirk tugging at his lips. He started to walk again, abandoning the bandits where they were.

Bouncing away from her hiding spot behind a tree, Haruko trotted back to the path and beside the pink haired kunoichi "Wow! Sakura, you're so lucky to have a knight in shining armor like Sasuke!" She exclaimed in admiration. "You know the other day, I promised him that I would come to your wedding! You agree, right?"

And here she went again. The three travelers resumed their trek south on the roads of the Fire Country. After more than a week of crossing the Earth from the Lightning Country to southern Fire, they were now approximately two miles away from Suiden. Judging by the pale spring sun above the green trees bordering the road, it was about ten in the morning. But no matter how early it may have been, Haruko simply never stopped talking to the great dismay of the two Leaf shinobis at her side. Sasuke had taken the precaution of bringing up the rear behind the girls, but the poor Sakura was forced to suffer direct verbal assault from next to the chestnut haired teen.

At this comment, the medic-nin blushed madly. Her eyes on the ground, she opened her mouth to speak but found no correct words to answer properly in the deep state of embarrassment and confusion she found herself in. _'Marriage? Could Sasuke-kun have mentioned…!?'_

Paying no attention, Haruko continued her babbling with a huge smile lighting her features "But before that we're gonna have a big party in my village! You'll see, we know how to celebrate in the countryside too! And then I'll introduce you two to my family and all my friends. I'm sure they'll like you!"

"Don't count on that too much."

Haruko turned to face Sasuke who had spoken darkly. "Why?" She asked, but her question went unheeded.

Sakura smiled nervously, understanding her teammate's apprehension perfectly well. He was always one to see the glass half empty, but it wasn't a reason to crush Haruko's hopes. "Don't worry" she reassured "what's most important is for you to meet your family again."

Haruko closed her open mouth and calmed down a little, nodding with a grin on her lips before beginning to babble some more. Sakura heard half of it as her thoughts wandered –much like Sasuke's- to their upcoming arrival in Suiden. She would have liked to be optimist about this and believe that they would be welcome in the village after all they had been through to bring back their missing girl, but a great part of her tended to think like Sasuke about the probable grudge the villagers would still have against them two. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists at her sides to relieve some of her anxiety. To distract herself, she tried to engage in a _true_ conversation with Haruko, without much success sadly.

About thirty minutes later, the younger girl started bouncing in joy and excitement when they passed the wooden sign indicating her village. The two shinobis remained alert. Minute by minute, step by step, the tension worsened; mostly in Sakura's mind though, since Sasuke had somehow grown used to unwelcoming towns. She, however, never could.

The first few wooden buildings appeared behind the leaves of bushes and trees. Haruko's eyes sparkled with sheer happiness as she recognized her home village along with the people walking around in the main street. Her whole body jolted up in longing to already be there even though she was mere meters away from the place she had dearly missed for so long. She wanted to run and call out for her mother, her brother and her aunt and everyone else. She was about to do just that when Sasuke harshly grabbed onto her arm.

"Wait" he said, blankly as usual. He gave a short glance to Sakura who nodded hesitantly after a second, and then started walking ahead of the girls.

He appeared first from under the shade of the trees and into the main street of the village. Sakura and Haruko followed closely behind on each side of him. All three halted at the entrance of Suiden. At first, no one seemed to notice their arrival as people were busy with their daily routine, but soon, one head turned and gasped, prompting another to do the same until someone shouted:

"He is back! Sasuke Uchiha is back!"

The whole village was alerted of their presence as yells began fusing from all directions.

"I knew it! This pink haired girl was on his side after all!"

"What are they doing here!? Go away, monsters!"

"Someone get the archers!"

Haruko and Sakura observed in stupor as a thick, loud crowd of about forty people assembled before them to block the entrance to the village. Unsurprised, Sasuke narrowed his eyes and extended an arm before the medic-nin in defense. Haruko couldn't comprehend what was happening as she looked at the villagers' faces one after the other and then at her two companions. The girl shook her head rapidly and frowned in confusion, stepping away from behind Sasuke's back and into the light for everyone to see "Wait guys, what are you doing!?"

Silence engulfed all for a few seconds before hushed whispers coursed through the crowd.

"Haruko…It's Haruko there's no mistaking it!"

"What is she doing with the Uchiha?"

"Maybe he hypnotized her. I heard ninjas could do that."

The olive eyed girl stared in disbelief at her old neighbors and friends "What are you saying?" She cried out.

"Haruko! Come here quick!" Yelled a man at the front of the crowd.

"It's dangerous! He'll kill you!" added someone else desperately.

Haruko didn't budge. She observed the friends she knew become mad with fear. From one pair of eyes to another her gaze traveled, reading despising, loathing, hatred and fright within their depths. Why…How could they react like that? She didn't know them like that! Haruko's mouth hung open, speechless.

The cries of the crowd became louder and numerous with minutes passing and the teenager staying rooted on her spot. While Sasuke analyzed the situation impassively with his dark orbs, Sakura was eyeing the back of his neck worriedly.

"Haruko! Get down!"

The sudden shout overpowered the rest of the noise. What followed was the whistling of an arrow aimed at the tall raven haired young man partly shielding the said girl from view.

Sakura's eyes widened in half a second's time. She reacted on impulse. Not a thought, not a fear passed by her mind when she pushed Sasuke's protective arm away to step in front of him. Her eyelids shut tightly.

The kunoichi felt of gust of air around her suddenly messing up her locks of pink hair, then a strong vibration coming from a sound of metal before her and the gasps of people with Haruko among them. A strong hand held painfully tight onto her forearm, so tense, so horrified that it shook. Sakura opened her eyes to find Susano'o's ghostly armor just in front of her –an arrow split in half was on the ground at her feet- and Sasuke letting out a small breath behind.

Biting the inside of her cheek in an effort to not whimper in pain, Sakura tried to turn towards her companion. He would not let her, instead shoving the gasping kunoichi behind him once again and turning to glare at the archers hidden among trees on the right. The three bow wielders were preparing more arrows. Sakura spoke her teammate's name, trying to appease the rage boiling inside Sasuke's veins. "Please Sasuke-kun, calm down!"

He wouldn't listen. Not when he had been powerless to protect her time and time again in Ryokai's fortress, in Kumo and more. Sasuke had _sworn_.

It took a few minutes for Haruko to snap out of her trance, but when she did and found her best friend among the archers aiming an arrow straight at the Uchiha's head, she burst out "Why are you all so scared! Sasuke didn't do anything until you threatened Sakura, so don't attack them!"

The archers and the crowd looked up at her with bewildered eyes as if she had just lost her mind. Haruko frowned in anger. She'd repeat it as many times as it took for it to get through their thick skulls "These two are **not** enemies! They saved me! So stop pointing your weapons at them, you hear!?"

By then the teenager was close to tears without her own knowledge. This mess of confusion, fright and nervousness was really becoming too much for her. It seemed to pay off however, with her best friend Aoi being the first to lower her bow. The other archers followed her example, putting their trust into Haruko. The olive eyed girl mustered the strength to smile at that.

Sakura knew this was Sasuke's cue. She shot him a stern look, all but commanding him to listen to her. After this intense staring contest lasted a couple of seconds, his heated glare cooled down in the slightest and Susano'o's violet gleam finally dissipated around them; but the blood red tint of the sharingan stayed ablaze regardless of the kunoichi's disapproving gaze. Whispers began emerging from the crowd, puzzled and wary.

"Let me through!" A feminine, cracking voice suddenly erupted from afar and cut through the mess of hushed voices "Let me see her! Haruko!"

A woman in her early thirties with chestnut long hair flowing behind her like her dark green dress came running through the sea of people. She broke from it and looked up to reveal her freckled, pale visage and teary olive eyes, the exact same ones as Haruko.

"Yui! Don't come any closer it's…!" Another woman trailed behind the first. Sasuke easily recognized her as the middle aged woman who had kicked him and Sakura out of her inn. She stopped dead in her tracks, eyes widening as they landed in turn on Haruko.

The teenage girl brought her hands to her mouth with tears now escaping the corners of her eyes "Mom…Auntie…!" She breathed out feebly.

Haruko's mother, Yui seemed to jerk alive with a short whimper as she stumbled as fast as her wobbly legs would let her towards her daughter without minding the two shinobis at her side. Sasuke didn't move; Sakura only turned her head to watch Yui throw her arms around Haruko. Shocked and fearful, the other villagers held their breath at this careless action; all Yui did was cry her heart out while holding onto her daughter's back and hair. She repeated her name over and over while Haruko returned the embrace, mumbling a weak, barely audible "mom" behind her tears.

It took a few minutes for the brunette woman to tear herself off of Haruko. Both were still crying and the mother clearly wanted nothing more than to hold her long lost daughter some more, but the teenage girl chose to wipe her tears roughly with her right hand and speak in a voice that she forced not to shake too much "Mom, these are Sasuke and Sakura. They're the ones who brought me back here."

Yui's red, puffy eyes widened slightly at that while the villagers who hadn't heard stillmumbled curses and urged them to get away from the Uchiha. The woman didn't move and simply listened to her daughter as she carried on more loudly "I was kidnapped by the Lightning daimyou's son and Sasuke and Sakura went all the way to the Lightning Country to save me! So why is everyone hostile to them!?"

"It's impossible!" roared someone amidst the crowd "They didn't even know what you looked like so how could they…!?

"Actually," Sakura interrupted before more shouts could come. She shook her arm free from Sasuke's tight grasp –not without difficulty at first- then rummaged through the pouch behind her belt for a certain item and eventually fished out the old, slightly crumpled photograph of Haruko. "Someone gave us this after we left back then" the kunoichi explained before turning to the olive eyed teenager next to her "I think it was your little brother."

Haruko smiled brighter through her tears and looked at the silently weeping hazel eyed boy at her aunt's feet in the front of the crowd. Her smile grew into a hopeful beam as she pried her mother off her to stand tall before all her neighbors "See, they aren't monsters! They saved me and went through a lot to do so!"

Yui who had been plunged in confusion for a moment resurfaced from her thoughts at these words. She looked up at the dark young man right next to her. Standing like this, he seemed made of ice, impassive, imperturbable, his gaze completely void and posture rigid. It was as though he knew what he had to do no matter what happened, with his arm protectively set in front of his pink haired companion and his determined gaze ready for anything. But despite that unfriendly or rather _distant_ demeanor, the fiery crimson eyes and the fact that a black katana was sheathed on his back, he wasn't attacking or doing so much as moving more than what was necessary to bring his chest up and down to breathe evenly. He was a shinobi, therefore unpredictable, but Yui found no animosity in this young man by looking at him intensely. Maybe Haruko was right…maybe he had only summoned this armored purple giant in order to protect the pink haired girl… Yui trusted her daughter. Haruko said that this Sasuke Uchiha wasn't an enemy, that he had saved her. So Yui could only believe her and do what she must.

The deep green eyed woman stepped a bit away from Haruko to walk in front of Sasuke. The young Uchiha studied her blankly; the pink haired girl behind him looked surprised; Yui stared solemnly at both of them. A tear was still rolling down her face as she spoke, earnest "Thank you." Both shinobis opened rounder eyes at this sudden declaration. But this wasn't all. Yui bowed before them as one more crystalline tear plummeted to the ground. She bowed low and repeated as steadily as she could "Thank you so much!"

Yui wasn't the only one. Haruko's brother had joined his mother's movement too and bowed with a small wail between his own tears. The inn owner followed with her own sob, then a girl with a bow in her hand, a man and a few teenagers. Soon, the whole crowd was bowing down to Sasuke and Sakura.

The kunoichi's mouth hung open with her hands over it in shock. These people who had mistaken them for criminals weeks ago were now showing their utmost respect to them. It was a manifestation of true gratitude as well as an apology; an apology for the harm they had caused, for the unfounded rumors and for their wrongly born hatred. Sakura found water coming to her eyes, warmth spreading throughout her whole being: This was all Sasuke had ever struggled to obtain for the past years of his journey.

She looked over at him with a shiny emerald gaze, smiling fondly as she studied his features. Sasuke had his mouth a little agape and his eyes just wide enough to display a few emotions for those who looked at him the right way like Sakura did. These dark depths of coal had cleared in the slightest for shock, relief, and deep, sincere happiness to appear inside them. Sasuke himself probably didn't know it, but this was an expression he had never showed anyone before, probably because it was the first time he ever made it. For these people, his sins were forgotten, maybe even forgiven, so that he could be considered as who he truly was, not what the rumors and his old reputation made him out to be. It was the first place apart from Konoha in which Sasuke wasn't an outcast anymore. It was his first step in ages towards redemption.

Sasuke would never have dared to believe that he could be forgiven like this. He had thought that Suiden would forever remain an unfriendly place even if he managed to bring back Haruko safely; he had even been prepared to take Sakura and run as far away from here as he could under the threat of forks and arrows. But these people who were gradually standing back straight had just proven him wrong. For once in his life Sasuke could stop being pessimistic. There was hope, even if he couldn't forgive himself, that he could somehow live on normally after years of pain and suffering –at least here and in Konoha, and these were only the beginning. For sure, Naruto would have been grinning stupidly beside him if he had been there, but right now, the warmth that the young Uchiha suddenly felt on his right arm provided enough insurance for him. Sasuke blinked and pivoted his head a little to find Sakura's petite hand on his biceps. He closed his slightly parted lips. A ghost of a smile imperceptibly formed on them as his soft gaze lingered on the kunoichi's form.

Meanwhile, Haruko had finally rushed to her family and friends to embrace them in a tight hug one after the other. Laughter and cries of joy erupted from them to replace the raging yells of earlier. Both shinobis observed from afar, silent, but content… until a boy's voice came from the back of the thick mass:

"Wait, does that mean he didn't rape her or anything?"

It was a silly, naïve question and probably one that the teenager whose embarrassed, flushed face was now revealed to all by a hole in the crowd had asked to one of his friends without thinking much beforehand. Not only Sasuke and Sakura frowned, but most people were glaring disapprovingly at the careless boy who had insulted the one whom they now recognized as the hero who had brought back their beloved Haruko. He seemed about to scamper away with his hands raised above his face as a sign of innocence, until Haruko decided to enlighten a certain point loudly enough for everyone to hear "Of course he didn't, moron! Sasuke only has eyes for Sakura anyway!"

Silence overtook all. Until quiet snickers were heard soon after.

Sakura felt the heated crimson blush creeping on her cheeks and instantly retrieved her hand from Sasuke's arm. She should have taken this comment to heart and be happy about the fact that Haruko had just put to light –Sasuke would never directly tell her anything of the sort after all. Yes, she would normally have been proud and beaming…had it been only the three of them. Now the flustered medic-nin simply wondered in horror what had possessed this senseless girl to shout out such a thing in front of a whole crowd of people that Sasuke and her didn't even know!

Sakura jumped as this thought came to her. If she was in this state –blushing madly and turning away from the crowd with tightly squeezed eyes and hands clamped over her heart- then… "Sasuke-kun?"

She chanced a look at her companion to see him utterly frozen stiff, his whole body tense and his eyes as wide as if he had just been petrified on the spot. His mouth formed a tight line, his jaw tight, while his fingers remained immobile and curved in odd angles, tense.

Haruko's laughter doubled her friend's sniggers.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Here you go! I hope I managed to make this scene tense and emotional enough...Arg!_

 _Special note to crazymel who had left a review ages ago on chapter 6: you see, Sasuke didn't rape anyone after all.^^_

 _I hope you guys liked it and as always, thank you for your reviews/favorites/follows, the support is always GREATLY appreciated!_


	27. Part 6 - Chapter 27

_**FLY AWAY- Part 6 : Daydream**_

 _ **Chapter 27**_

The villagers had offered them hospitality for as long as the two Leaf ninjas wanted as a testimony of their genuine gratitude. As a result, Haruko had more or less imposed that Sakura and Sasuke should stay at least until they could throw the gigantic party she had promised for their return. Sakura was surprised to hear Sasuke concede to the girl's offer without putting too much of a fight. Maybe he was simply glad to be accepted here instead of merely 'tolerated' like in Kumo.

The people of Suiden had been more welcoming than the two would have dared to hope for, probably thanks to Haruko's various stories about her trip with them and how she advertised their friendliness to whoever crossed her path. She wanted to introduce Sasuke and Sakura to the whole neighborhood personally. In order to escape such ordeal, the couple had decided to spend most of their time at the 'Yasashii Tori Inn' held by Haruko's aunt. The middle aged woman called Masami had apologized most earnestly to the shinobis once she had given them a room in her establishment. Now they were free to stay there or in the lobby all they wanted.

Only there was one tiny problem.

It had already taken the rest of the morning for the welcoming committee of Suiden to let Haruko and her escort proceed to the village. Afterwards, Yui had offered them lunch at her house which neither Sakura nor Sasuke could refuse considering that it had been nearly one in the afternoon by then and that their stomachs could only sing in anticipation at such proposal. Respectfully, the two Leaf ,ninjas had reached a common agreement to leave the rest of the day for Haruko to stay with her family despite the girl's protests. Therefore, after their conversation with Masami at the inn, it was close to three p.m. when Sasuke and Sakura noticed the _problem_.

There was only one bed in their room, definitely a courtesy of Haruko the chatterbox.

Masami had gone to enjoy some time with her newly reunited family, but even then neither of the two voiced the slightest complaint about this surprise. It didn't mean that they weren't fazed at all. Sakura for instance, was divided between the urge to freak out or yell her happiness to the world.

She literally remained stuck, petrified on the spot upon entering and laying eyes on the one king-sized bed positioned against the wall by the window. Her mind was blank at first before a storm of thoughts and emotions overtook it tyrannously. Even Inner Sakura was rendered speechless by the joy, shock, warmth, fright, comfort, unease, excitement, apprehension, nervousness, anticipation, tension, mischievousness, affection, tenderness and sudden love coming over her senses like a tsunami. Sakura only stopped melting into a puddle of nerves once she emerged from her trance at the clinking of metal falling on the parquet.

She whipped her head to the doorstep and saw Sasuke retrieving the keys he had let slip from his hand on the floor. His gaze was downcast, and even when he stood back straight his obsidian orbs looked more impassive than ever. The young Uchiha said nothing, didn't make a sound as he walked over to the closest table to retrieve a flask of water from his bag. As he drank, Sakura decided to unpack her things while trying to sort her thoughts a little:

' _This is…No way this can't be happening! Only one bed means…No, no no! Don't think about that, shannaro! We've been a couple for a little more than a week, it's definitely too early to even think of it. I'm a dignified lady, not an easy girl, dammit!_ _Yes, besides, sleeping in the same bed doesn't necessarily mean anything, really. We spent lots of nights next to each other under the stars and Sasuke-kun didn't ever say anything when I placed my sleeping mat beside him. He's not saying anything now either, but he sure is drinking a lot…Yeah, it's kinda warm in here…Damn! Oh no, stop blushing Sakura or he'll start thinking that…Crap. Is he looking at me? Thank god he isn't…But seriously, who am I kidding!? I really want to… simply be close to him.'_

Sakura realized that she had wrinkled her fingers too tightly on the medical supplies she had been trying to unpack so that the phials were on the verge of shattering. She eased her grip on them hastily, but let them fall from her hands –on the smooth covers of the bed by chance- after Inner Sakura came back to life to comment _'Don't lie to yourself, just what were you willing to do the other day on the hill?'_

Then came nightfall.

Sakura didn't know how she had survived the emotional pressure and…all the rest of her feelings throughout the afternoon. The two shinobis had stayed on opposite sides of the room the whole time, he at the table on the left, she on the bed on the right. Sakura had ended up sitting on the carpet with her phials at one point to try and distract herself. The medic's previous attempt to write a letter to her parents had been fruitless, considering that other thoughts and … all the rest of her feelings had been completely flooding her mind at the time. After failing to prepare some anti-bruise pomade –something she had learnt at the very beginning of her apprenticeship under Tsunade- Sakura decided she had had enough.

Calm down and simply take things as they came. This was her new determination.

…At least until close to midnight when she found herself wrapped in the covers of the bed with none other than the love of her life walking over to join her. Clad in only a light pink tank top and white, loose sports shorts, she stayed curled next to the curtain obstructed window, trapped between it and Sasuke who was slowly, silently sliding under the covers beside her. Her gaze followed his every movement as her heart throbbed -it felt like a honey-deprived bee had taken its place as it beat while trembling with the tickling sensation of the bug's restless buzzing. Sasuke was sitting on the mattress beside his companion but without looking at her. Attentively, she observed the yellow glow of the bedside lamp on his muscled, black T-shirt clad silhouette and on the outline of his face. Her eyes trailed up the perfect line of his jaw to find his charcoal ones directed to the wall opposite him, blank and somehow… resigned. Sakura wondered about this latter observation and stared at the young man a little longer from behind the covers she held shyly above the lower part of her face. _'What now?'_ She thought. _'What's he gonna do next? What's gonna happen?'_ Surprisingly, all her negative emotions from earlier had vanished from her mind as the kunoichi waited with sheer excitement for what would come.

And everything turned black.

Sakura blinked to try and see through the darkness after Sasuke had unexpectedly switched off the light. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the obscurity of the room, a while during which only the shifting of sheets and a low sigh came from her teammate. Sakura didn't move. There was nothing. _'What the…'_ He wasn't even facing her! In fact, the medic-nin could faintly see the Uchiha's back turned to her as far on his side of the bed as possible.

She tried to calm down a little; wait and see was her strategy. So she waited, motionless for a good ten minutes, but Sasuke didn't move an inch and she could barely hear his breathing at all anymore. Hers, on the contrary, was getting more uneven as the tickling in her chest got replaced by a hard twist of her heart. _'Okay, I hadn't been expecting…sex or anything. But now he's just…'_ flatly and plainly ignoring her, as though she were a hindrance to his peace of mind and rest.

Sakura grew sore at this thought. This was stupid; how could Sasuke act like that after he had _asked_ for her affection and closeness the other day on the hill? Forget 'wait and see', Sakura was more determined than that to get something like a word of explanation or an _act_ –anything really- from her lover.

The medic-nin shifted to lie on her side and face Sasuke's back. She summoned up her courage and forgot to think about whatever worries she may have had earlier before whispering softly "Sasuke-kun."

He didn't move at the hushed sound of his name. Maybe he was already asleep? In ten minutes? No. Knowing him as a very alert shinobi, Sakura was certain that it took longer for this man to get drowsy even after tiring days. She murmured his name again, twice, until a low grunt finally answered her calls.

Sakura held her hand to her heart "…Can I come closer?" She asked in the tiniest, but still courage-filled voice.

"No."

Sakura jerked her head up from her pillow. Well, this was a rather clear reply, but it somehow pinched her heart more painfully than before. Sasuke was still unmoving as she frowned, dropped her head back on the pillow and muttered in the dark "Why so blunt…"

Silence met her whisper and Sakura thought that was it. Honestly, she felt more disappointed than mad, even though she silently promised herself that he would pay for this affront the next day. She decided to call him an idiot and turn away for now, that seemed a good enough idea but before she could do so and completely sit up on the mattress, Sasuke finally whispered back, low, emotionless "…It's different in a bed."

Sakura stilled at this. So he really had been thinking along the same lines as her all afternoon? He certainly hadn't shown it, but how could she be surprised after knowing this taciturn Uchiha for years? Her second reaction –after a widening of her green eyes- was to blush cherry red and be thankful for the darkness' cover. Sasuke had just refuted all the arguments she hadn't even voiced: the times when the two had slept next to each other at Tazuna's, by the campfire or in inns, as well as the fact that they were now in a relationship.

Sakura stared up from her pillow to the young man's back facing her. She wanted to touch his shoulder, the simplest gesture that without words, would tell Sasuke just how blindly she trusted him. She didn't know if it was alright to convey such thoughts and feelings so carelessly, even if he may already know. So when she extended her arm towards him, it shook very hesitantly, maybe even scared as she was about to step into unknown grounds, to test the waters. Sakura could feel the heat emanating from Sasuke's body on the tip of her fingers as they almost came in contact with the cotton covering his shoulder blade only he interrupted her once again.

"You're still…" Sakura's hand stopped its course at these supposedly blank, but perceptibly diffident words "…a little awkward."

Her hand balled into a tight fist so that the sound of the kunoichi's knuckles cracking was distinctively heard in the silent room. Sasuke quickly clarified "What I mean is…" Sakura stilled again "This isn't the moment…yet…"

His deep voice trailed off. Sakura pouted. He was right. And she hated it.

She was still too inexperienced with him after such little time of 'dating'. She had yet to discover what was right for her to do and what wasn't, to find the correct balance for her affection to be returned in equal amounts (if possible) and to become totally comfortable around Sasuke. Right now, Sakura would be lying if she pretended that she wasn't a terrible, messy bundle of nerves.

But even so, she was unsatisfied. Terribly unsatisfied. If Sasuke didn't want to change his habits to cuddle or anything tonight, she could understand. But there was at least one thing he owed her before they could fall asleep.

Sakura used the hand that she had been against her chest to prop herself up on the mattress. She pushed her body closer to the man on the other side until her stomach rubbed against his back. Without leaving room for complaints, she used her other hand to search for the Uchiha's face in the dark –a face that, had she been given more light, Sakura would have seen crimson and nearly panicked. Her palm finally found a warm cheek, which she turned to face her. Then her thumb scanned for a pair of lips, which she kissed tenderly.

Sakura quickly pulled away to crash back down on the mattress beside Sasuke, careful not to touch him at all. He had shifted to lie on his back, but Sakura was the one turned away from him now. It served him right, even though she couldn't bring herself to be angry at him. "Goodnight, Sasuke-kun" she whispered in a sweet innocent tone.

~O~

If you asked Sakura about her schemes the previous night, she would certify that it had ended better than she could have ever expected. Waking up to find a sleeping Uchiha's arm draped over her waist as they both laid on their sides towards the window was what she would mark as a flamboyant success in her book.

He, however, was between appalled and deeply shocked upon awaking. While it was true that he had felt Sakura's anxiousness the other night, the same diagnostic could easily be made for him too, no matter how much he wanted to deny it -Sasuke wasn't nervous over a woman, no of course not. He was simply lost in doubt, torn between two sides of his conscience.

He cared deeply for Sakura, he had long admitted it, but the problem was making her understand how very essential she had become to him –it was, after all, the sole thing she had ever wanted from the Uchiha and the best way for him to atone for his wrongdoings. He couldn't _say_ **it**. He simply couldn't. So he would have to display it someway else. This was when things got complicated: On one hand, Sasuke's whole being was aching to show Sakura to the fullest -nothing less- and most intimate way -no more was needed to be said. On the other, he knew the pink haired medic had pined for him for years relentlessly and wanted to return her affection equally as chastely in order to give her an idea of the true depth of his… _thoughts_ –he would still not call them anything else.

Sakura's happiness was one of his goals, and when Sasuke Uchiha had a goal, he achieved it. Therefore he had chosen to tame his urges and take it slow with his teammate. So when she had asked for closeness at _night_ in a _bed_ she shared with _him_ , it was quite obvious that nervousness had nothing to do with his refusal, naturally.

Eventually after the two had woken up –Sasuke because of his companion's giggles- they set out to accomplish their 'mission' of the day. Now on the second morning after their arrival in Suiden, they had decided to start on more serious business concerning their numerous questions about Haruko's mother and the Lightning daimyou's son -mainly Sakura's though, as Sasuke was already content with his redemption quest's advancement.

In prevision of Haruko's antics and wishes to take them all around the village for a tour that would without doubt successfully give both shinobis searing headaches, Sasuke and Sakura had thought of an infallible plan to obtain their answers. Having woken up early on purpose that morning, the two sneaked out of the inn and settled behind the trees in the forest nearest Haruko's house. Both knew that any achievement would become impossible if the target –Haruko- was still inside the house and ready to drag them out to 'play', so they waited about half an hour for her to leave. Once she skipped out of sight, the two ninjas walked out of the shade of the trees and towards the door of her home to knock and come in once they were allowed to.

The main room was fairly simple and wooden like that of the inn. Haruko's mother sat at the wooden table in the middle of it, sipping a mug of warm milk. On her left was Haruko's little blond hazel eyed brother Haiiro; on her right, another younger boy with more tanned skin and darker maroon eyes sat on an elevated chair. Yui's eyebrows rose up to be hidden by her fringe in surprise upon seeing the shinobis on the doorstep. She made her chair creak as she stood up hastily and gave a slightly uneasy, but welcoming smile "Sakura-san, Sasuke-san, please come in."

"Sorry about this unexpected visit, Yui-san" Sakura greeted politely, stepping in front of Sasuke and into the house. The young man followed silently after her.

"Oh, it's alright" the woman answered kindly before addressing her oldest son "Haiiro, why don't you and Kumo go play outside for a moment?"

The blond child obediently nodded and hopped off his chair as his mother helped the youngest out of his own and lowered him to the ground. Haiiro took Kumo by the hand and carefully made his way outside the door with the two year old boy. Their small silhouettes disappeared in the breach of light from the door before it shut close. Yui instantly offered her guests a seat at the table, which they accepted, one next to the other on the womani's right.

"It's too bad that you only arrived now, Haruko was there barely five minutes ago" Yui said lightly.

"O-oh really?" Sakura giggled nervously while shifting her knees under the table a little.

Without wasting any more time, Sasuke introduced the reason of their visit in his usual deep, collected voice "We have a few questions to ask you about the Lightning daimyou's son."

Yui's hand holding a spoon to move the milk in her cup dropped it with a loud clinking sound. Sakura gave the Uchiha a reprimanding glance, but he didn't seem to mind it while she cleared her throat uncomfortably and apologized on his behalf. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at that. Yui watched them absent-mindedly, mustering the courage to speak "Y-you said…It was him who took Haruko" she half-asked.

Sakura nodded, setting a serious gaze on the older woman "We're sorry to have to bring this up but we learnt a couple of unsettling things back in the Lightning Country and…" she took a deep, silent breath "…It wouldn't be unlikely for the daimyou's son to come back for Haruko so…"

"He wouldn't."

The pink haired kunoichi opened slightly rounder eyes at the unexpected interruption "Why do you think that?" She asked gently, trying not to rush answers out of the flustered woman.

Yui took a few minutes to reply, her eyes fixed on the steam escaping her half empty mug of warm milk, but not quite looking at it "H-he isn't a capricious child…If you won Haruko from his grasp…he should leave her alone."

"You know _him_ " Sasuke said coolly, the last word uttered curtly, almost spat.

Yui nodded.

Silence engulfed the three for a moment. The chestnut haired woman didn't look like she was going to speak again, maybe too saddened, shy or satisfied with what little explanation she had already provided. But Sakura's curiosity had yet to be quelled, and her companion clearly felt it. The medic was too kind to urge Yui to talk if it was hard for her, so Sasuke would take up the 'bad' role "We've put a lot of effort into finding Haruko" he began, immediately snatching the two women's attention. His jaw tensed and his eyes found the table "…even more to take her away from him." He pushed the memory of the broken Sakura's torn kimono as far away from his mind as he could to continue, his tone irrepressibly dark "You owe us an explanation."

Yui shuddered openly as Sakura looked between her and Sasuke. While she knew exactly why his stern glare was now focused on the table and wanted to grab his hand in reassurance, Sakura couldn't help but mentally chastise his bluntness. Seeing the woman's hands trembling a bit on each side of her mug, the kunoichi was about to apologize once more to Yui , but suddenly the latter balled he hands into fists and dipped her head down with a low sigh before bringing her eyes up to Sakura's face "Alright, I'll tell you what you want to know."

The pink haired girl blinked and nodded slowly, determinedly. She laid a finger on her lips, dropped it after a minute to gaze at the older woman again "The Lightning daimyou's son, Ryokai seemed to have chosen Haruko to marry him because she looked a lot like you, Yui-san. He also appeared deeply shocked to hear you were alive so…What kind of link is there between you two?"

Yui frowned and brought her tight fists under the table on her knees in a poor attempt to hide her nervousness. Sakura could only give her an apologetic look to somehow encourage her and eventually, the older woman raised her head to face the kunoichi and explain "When I was young, I tended to be a little care-free like Haruko …Maybe even careless. So I found myself pregnant with her at age sixteen." At this, Sakura had to suppress her shock to let her continue "Thankfully, her father was a trustworthy shinobi and even though he had only been here on a mission, he stayed with me and ultimately married me. He treated me well and I gave birth to his son, Haiiro when I was twenty-one. Only…one day he was called back to Konoha for another mission. He never came back."

Yui paused in her tale to take a deep breath and calm her aching nerves. Sakura, regardless of the seemingly non-existence of a link between her question and the chestnut haired woman's story, hung to her every word with an expression of grief and compassion on her face. Sasuke merely stared at the table, listening with one ear. Yui finally managed to continue more or less composedly "I had two young children and despite my sister in law's help, the inn didn't have enough visitors to provide me a good enough salary. So… in the end, I had no choice. Haruko was six and Haiiro only two when I left to find a job with my sister's help." The tiniest smile appeared on her lips. It was gone the next second "You must have met her, Yue, the guardian kunoichi. We were separated when we were young and she became a shinobi under my father's guidance while I stayed here with my late mother, but we've always had a strong bond so she found me a job as a maid in her master's residence." Her arms tensed, signaling that she was gripping the fabric of her dress on her knees tensely "That's when I met Ryokai. At first nothing happened between us but…" Yui bit her lip and let out a shaky sigh "…He confided in me from time to time because he felt lonely and… It didn't feel the same as with my former husband at all. I felt…I…w-we fell in love."

Sakura had guessed it would come to this, judging by Ryokai's tears back then and the woman's trembling voice right now. She didn't press Yui to go into further explanation even though the story hadn't reached its end yet. She let the silence linger until the woman was ready to finish, it didn't matter if she never was –Sakura could only relate to painful love stories and understand how hard it was to tell them. "Everything was going well…" Yui's voice suddenly came back, small at first, but then a bit louder and as steady as she could maintain it "I saved up more than enough money for years of living and I was happy with Ryokai but then…I got pregnant again" She glued her eyes to her cooling milk mug, losing more and more of her countenance with every word "He was the daimyou's son! I just couldn't stay like that, but I couldn't bring myself to kill my child either! So I chose the only option I had left." Yui let out a shaky breath and lowered her head completely to hide her eyes away behind long chestnut tresses in shame "I ran."

Not a word was spoken in the room for a moment. Sasuke tore his gaze away from the wood of the table to glance at his pink haired companion, trying to see whether she had been given all the answers she wanted. Her face, aghast and completely turned to Yui, let on what she was thinking before she breathed it out "So that child, Kumo…"

Yui feebly nodded "It's his." She gulped away the tears that made her voice quake and drew back her head to plunge gleaming, almost pleading olive eyes into Sakura's flabbergasted ones "Please don't judge me! I didn't know what to do at the time, I never knew if what I did was the right thing or not! But I truly loved him!"

Sakura frowned deeply, sadly at this heartbroken confession as Yui made a grab for the kunoichi's hand on the table with both of hers and tilted her head back down, her back bowed to hide her tears. Sasuke watched Sakura bring her other hand to top the older woman's "I'm sorry" the medic let out apologetically; and silence swept over the room.

After a few minutes, Sasuke made to stand up, eventually followed by Sakura. Yui brought her gaze back up to the two with the disappearance of the warm hands on her own. The kunoichi before her struggled to smile compassionately before bowing "Thank you" she said earnestly "I hope…you're happy now with your children."

Sakura nodded one last time and turned on her heel for the door. Having given his own nod of goodbye, Sasuke trailed after her but couldn't miss the tightness of his companion's jaw and her deep, uneasy frown once they were outside. He grabbed her arm to drag her to the side of the house, in the shade where they were less likely to be spotted by a certain freckled girl. His eyes asked the question so that Sakura didn't need him to voice his concern to understand.

Her gaze drifted to the ground instead of the man in front of her "Yui-san left her love without looking back…" she murmured "…It was war at the time, he must have thought she was _dead_." Her frown deepened as her voice took a louder, outraged tone "How could she have done that knowing his feelings!? He isn't even aware he has a son!"

Sakura's wide eyes shot up to Sasuke, but at the sight of his darkening expression, her anger dissipated at once to be replaced by shock and guilt as her mouth dropped open with a gasp "Sasuke-kun, I didn't mean…"

"She had no choice" he interrupted somberly, his deep voice void of any emotion. "Besides, she did it for his sake" _'unlike me…'_ he couldn't help but add in his mind. Sasuke turned away from the pink haired girl and shook his head to will away those thoughts, instead taking up a more threatening tone "And don't you dare pity that bastard after all he did!"

Sasuke started walking away, but a small hand grabbing his prevented him from stepping out of the concealing shade of the house near the forest.

"Sasuke! Sakura! Where on Earth are you!?" A familiar, feminine voice came from a little further down the road.

Sasuke looked back down at Sakura's uncomfortable countenance. It wouldn't take long for Haruko to find them by her house and if the two shinobis tried to move away, she would definitely hear their footsteps on the dusty ground. They could only wait for the inevitable to come but before it did, Sakura gave the young Uchiha's hand a squeeze and a look of apology. He frowned, guilt now flooding his mind _'You're not supposed to be the one apologizing.'_

Sakura slowly let her fingers slip from his before he could do anything to convey this thought. He couldn't have anyway, not when a chestnut haired teen appeared before them and started jumping around while advertising their day's newly proclaimed activities. It didn't mean he wouldn't do what had to be done. When Sasuke had something a mission, he accomplished it.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _I'm laaaaate! Sorry!_

 _Ok, this chapter finally gave you the whole story about Yui and the daimyou's son. I tried to create a plausible/realistic background for this. I know I made it a little pathetic and drama-like but...oh well? Was it good? Bad? tell me please!_

 _Also special thanks to eliimg for her enthusiastic review and to all of you who are supporting this story! We almost hit the 30,000 views guys, it's amazing!_

 _See you next time~_


	28. Part 6 - Chapter 28

_**FLY AWAY- Part 6 : Daydream**_

 _ **Chapter 28**_

Two days of peace followed the war against headaches as Haruko had been too busy strolling around the neighboring villages with her brothers to announce the great news of her return as well as the gigantic party that was to be held at the end of the week.

In prevision of this exceptional event, the preparations for a banquet, decorations and mostly a great scene where the local band would play had begun. Everyone in Suiden was requested their help –villagers and wandering shinobis alike- which is why Sasuke found himself transporting heavy loads of logs back to the village. The previous morning he had asked Sakura for her point of view on whether it was a good idea or not to do small jobs and help around in his travels to cleanse his name. "Yes, of course!" She had answered, beaming encouragingly. With this decision made, the young Uchiha forced himself not to complain under the weight of the logs in his arms, however hard it proved to be on his nerves to walk back and forth between Suiden and the forest endlessly.

He had been given quite a number of tasks all morning from tidying the inn's lobby with Sakura to carrying various things around including the logs freshly cut by the village's timbers to make planks for the stage. Sasuke had been alone on this job with two timbers for a couple of hours before 'the savior' had arrived after a long strive to get off her cooking duty.

"Sasuke-kun, you should be careful with your prosthesis, you know" he heard Sakura say beside him. While he had approximately seventy pounds worth of logs in his arms, Sakura was transporting twice as much, twice as fast with a pile at least two feet higher than the top of her head. Such a waste it was to use those powerful hands of hers to prepare some dango, really.

"Hn" Sasuke grumbled huffily as he knew what would follow.

"Wow! A prosthesis? You lost a limb, man?" A timber inquired eagerly behind them.

It was one thing for Haruko to be a chatter box, but for the people in her village to be as nosy and loud… Sasuke frowned even more upon hearing the light giggles at his side. Sakura was striding away, leaving him to deal with inquisitive stares and multiple questions concerning his 'adventures'. Oh how she'd pay for that…

Sakura arrived back in the village and dropped her load near the _'_ plaza': the largest part of the road near the entrance of Suiden where the stage was to be built. She smiled and dusted her hands off as the carpenters eyed her huge pile of logs. "This should be enough for one stage, right?" the kunoichi asked. They all nodded, utterly flabbergasted by the sheer strength of the petite pink haired woman.

Sakura observed her surroundings. Various groups of people were bustling around in order for everything to be ready in two days, some cooking or arranging flowers. _'It's been ages since I've last done that'_ she mused, remembering her old days in the academy when she used to practice Ikebana with Ino. Sakura was about to offer her help there when she heard a few voices back near the stage spot.

"I'm sure you can do something with these" came an Uchiha's all but deadly tone.

"S-sorry, but… we really have enough with what she brought earlier" replied one of the carpenters nervously, his thumb pointing at Sakura standing alone and frozen at the center of the road.

The kunoichi instantly felt an icy glare at the back of her neck which made her shudder inwardly. Her devilish half was tempted to walk away as if she had heard nothing and let Sasuke deal with this; her inner angel recommended in the contrary, that she go and save the poor carpenters before they suffered her companion's fury. Sakura's mind swayed for long seconds during which the carpenters' begging seemed to resound in her head until she finally chose the latter option.

The medic-nin walked back towards her teammate and the other men with a sweet smile. Once close enough, she planted her feet between Sasuke and the lead carpenter as a mediator and interlaced her fingers behind her back, stretching a little "Isn't there anything other than the stage that needs to be built?" she questioned the mustached man.

Sasuke's glare intensified, awaiting the carpenter's answer. A bead of sweat ran down his temple as he replied uneasily "W-well, there's enough for the buffet and the stage so…"

Sakura put a finger on her lips and hummed in thought "Maybe you could… make a giant campfire or something? Oh, I know!" She suddenly exclaimed "You can build some kind of arches to put flowers on! It'd be really pretty." This was the carpenter's safety-suit. It was up to him to take it or stupidly reject it and deal with an annoyed Uchiha.

Thankfully, he made the wise decision "O-oh! Yeah good idea!" he scratched the back of his neck "I'll go tell the mayor!" And he stole off.

Once he and his men were out of sight, Sakura flashed her raven haired companion a cute wink, at which he sighed. She pouted "I thought you were a little more patient than that."

Sasuke shifted his glare to the logs on the ground "I'm not used to this."

Yes, judging by his question this morning, it was clear that Sasuke didn't help strangers for no reason on a regular basis. Sakura wondered for a secondif his younger self, the one she had known during their genin days, would have done such a thing selflessly. Even if he wouldn't have, a little push for a good action couldn't hurt, could it? The pink haired girl grabbed her fingers, fidgeting a little "…I guess it'll come in time" she muttered, mentally chastising herself for the unwanted shyness laced in her voice.

At these words, Sakura felt a weight drop on top of her head, something warm and large and nice. Sasuke ruffled her hair a little with his hand and, scowling a little, she brought up her own to prevent more damage from being done to her tangled locks. As he turned away to walk towards some men who were calling him for who knows what annoying job, Sakura caught the hint of a smile on his lips.

She stood there for a few more minutes, somewhat amazed, putting her thin pink tresses back in place, until a familiar voice called her in turn. The medic found Yui sitting on a long wooden bench by a nearby house with the inn owner Masami at her side. After approaching them, Sakura noticed they were making onigiris with some rice in a large bowl on a table beside them.

"Can I help you?" The kunoichi politely asked, hiding her uneasiness as best as she could. As Yui was among the villagers who had offered her hospitality, not to mention Haruko's mother, Sakura thought it was in order to act respectfully near her. But with her mixed feelings about the older woman ever since their conversation the other day, it was like constantly walking on a thin line.

Yui nodded "We could use a hand, really, or we'll still be making rice balls by nightfall!"

Sakura nodded. There were no more physically demanding jobs to do for now until the planks were ready, so she was free to go back to more customary duties. The medic-nin took a seat on the free spot beside the olive eyed woman and washed her hands using a water basin next to her. Once ready, she dove in for the sticky rice.

Masami was the first to initiate a conversation "You get along very well with Sasuke-san."

Pausing for a second in her work, Sakura fixed her eyes on the rice she was molding as she tried to suppress the red blush coming to her cheeks in both embarrassment and… sheer pride. People telling her this meant that they looked like a true couple! _'Shannaro!'_ Sakura beamed "Yeah! He may not look like it to some people but he really is a good person!" She exclaimed brightly, her discomfort easing a little.

"In the contrary," Yui who had been silently making a pyramid of onigiris until then unexpectedly laughed "I think he appears very _good-looking_ to most people."

So much for trying to lighten up the mood. Sakura giggled awkwardly at this remark, recalling how she, Ino and all the other girls at the academy used to fawn over the Uchiha's handsomeness. Yui was still smiling too, but in time, it started to look more like a sad smile tugging down at the corners of her lips to turn it into a frown. Seeing this, Sakura quickly asked her if anything was wrong but the woman merely hummed in reply before saying "You seem like a very kind person too, Sakura-san. That's why…"

Sakura stared confusedly at the older woman who continued molding rice, putting condiments inside it and adding seaweed on top of her onigiris without stopping her ministrations despite her melancholic words "I want…to warn you" She finally let out. Sakura listened, respectfully silent while Masami tidied the piles of ingredients before her, seemingly knowing what her sister-in-law was about to say. Yui took a deep, soundless breath before speaking, almost as carefully as if she were going to shatter both herself and her interlocutor with the slightest imperfect word "You see…I'm talking from experience. You are still young and in love so…" Yui turned her dark, saddened eyes to the kunoichi next to her. Sakura had directed her gaze back to her rice-ball without molding it. "What I mean to say is… sometimes, you get forced apart from your loved one and…you've got to be prepared for that …or it'll hurt too much"

"I understand what you're saying, but I don't agree" Sakura declared firmly, but not abruptly in order not to startle Yui. She partly failed as the woman -along with Masami- opened wide eyes to stare at her. The pink haired medic smiled, but nonetheless looked determinedly at the fragile Yui. Sakura didn't need to be told this; she had been in love so badly and for so long. This was why Yui made her uncomfortable: it was that defeated spirit of hers, like she had been broken once and had never found the strength to stand back up. As a mother and a lover, Yui had had to go through a lot in her life but even if her words held truth, they were still terribly naïve, especially when addressing Sakura who had witnessed with her own eyes the man who held her heart walking out of her life and into the deepest darkness.

The pink haired girl's uneasiness was probably caused by the genuine pity she had for this woman. But pity wasn't something Sakura ever allowed herself to feel, especially for someone who resembled her so much in her past sad love experiences. Compassion was in most cases, a much better choice for her, more positive, more heartfelt, more _needed_.

"You can't be prepared for anything when you're in love" Sakura said "It's either you endure the hard times or you _fight_ through them." Her serious expression relaxed a little like her voice "My love story wasn't a very happy one until recently, Yui-san, but I kept striving all this time no matter what." Sakura's eyes got lost in the distance, searching for Sasuke without finding him among all the crowd of working villagers. Blinking away his image in her mind, she sighed and returned her determined gaze to Yui "I've fought for years to be by this man's side, now I'll fight to stay!"

At the sight of Masami's and Yui's baffled expressions, Sakura blushed light pink and mumbled "Of course I want him to be as happy as he makes me too, and…yeah…" The kunoichi made a grab for the large bowl of rice in front of her to rapidly start making onigiris again.

The three women returned to their work in silence after the youngest's tirade, so that she wondered if she had said anything wrong. Sakura had been honest all throughout, she didn't see what…

"Yeah…I guess you may be right…"

A surprised Sakura faced a smiling Yui. Though it wasn't the same sad smile as before, this one seemed…relieved? No: _Admiring_.

~O~

Days were supposed to noticeably lengthen now, in May, but it seemed to be too much to hope for this year as the sun had already sunk down by eight p.m. Maybe it was more convenient and nothing to be irritated about considering that 'Haruko's Gigantic Welcome Back Party' was taking place that night. The villagers –along with their two guest shinobis- had given it their all for the feast to live up to its name. Originally, the road leading to the entrance of Suiden was as large as a boulevard, cutting the village into two distinct parts in which alleys and little roads curled between houses. Now the area appeared fairly small with the wooden stage at the very end of it and the ocean of people wiggling all over the proclaimed 'dance floor'. On the right side of the road, a dozen tables had been put in line to make a large buffet with dangos, onigiris, fruits and various appealing dishes; on the left, Sakura's idea had been implemented with quite a number of rectangular floral arches from which colorful lampions were hung. The medic had commented that she and others had needed to go buy some supplementary flowers from a nearby village to complete this decoration as the ones they had picked up in the forest had not been enough. In the end, their efforts had paid off as the orange, yellow and blue lampions illuminated all tints of wild and noble flowers to make them seem like a beautiful, precisely ordered rainbow. The same kind of lampions gave gentle, warm spots of light almost everywhere: on the few empty spots on the buffet, the bare ground and the border of the stage where a small country-folk band made of an acoustic guitarist, a pianist, a violinist and two female singers were performing.

About a hundred people from the villages near Suiden were gathered, if not to celebrate Haruko's return, to talk and simply have fun between friends. It appeared that those living in this small region knew each other as well as if they were all next-door neighbors. This wasn't so surprising: in Konoha too, familiar faces were more frequent than not despite it being a big town. Thanks to this, the atmosphere was rendered particularly lively, something a certain Uchiha had much difficulty blending into.

It was close to ten thirty and the party had been ongoing for more than four hours with its overload of people, boisterous noise and what came with it of course: headaches. Sasuke had never been fond of large events like these and probably never would be. This was Naruto's thing, and the raven haired young man had sworn to never take part in his best friend's catastrophic parties after the one he had thrown to celebrate the end of the war. To think that the moron had believed the broom closet that served as his apartment could host half of Konoha's population…

So Sasuke was simply leaning against a random house wall behind one of the buffet's tables, trying to go unnoticed. Had it been up to him, he would have spent the rest of the evening tranquilly reviewing his map in his room at the inn, but Haruko had struck again. She had instructed Masami to lock the door, the windows and all the rest and made sure that a group of her _numerous_ friends stayed in front of the building at all times to prevent Sasuke from sneaking in. In spite of appearances, this girl was damn clever.

The young Uchiha had nonetheless managed to find a drink -some kind of rum punch most likely- to cool his head off. This was the least he could have to stand the cries and cheers from the crowd every time the band on the stage would announce their next song. And yet, he was faring rather well. Four hours and Sakura hadn't dragged him away to dance or do something annoying, four hours and Haruko hadn't…

"What are you doing here all alone, Sasuke? You're supposed to be having fun!"

Speaking of the devil…

Sasuke found the olive eyed teen standing before him in her best green, frilled dress with her hands on her hips to display her irritation. This demeanor reminded him of a pink haired medic he had seen this same teenager drag away a few hours before, however she seemed nowhere to be found right then.

"Where's Sakura?" Sasuke inquired, blunt and straightforward as always.

Haruko sighed and threw her hands above her head "Who knows? Maybe she's dancing with some guy right now, seeing how she was eyeing the dance floor earlier…"

The Uchiha brought his glass to his lips. "Tch" he huffed quietly in mild irritation before swallowing a gulp of the sweet and sour liquid.

"You know, since she's really pretty, she gets a lot of attention from men" Haruko carried on her obvious teasing "Maybe you should ask her for a dance before anyone else does?"

Sasuke all but glared in response to the young girl's devilish smile. He trusted Sakura. Furthermore, she probably didn't want the bastard who dared touch her to know a short lifetime.

The Uchiha remained silent, praying that it would be enough to drive the ranting teen away. As always she proved more persistent than that, or at least until a group of girls her age urged her to go talk with them instead of the icicle-man leaning against the wall. The shinobi found himself alone once again and wondered how long it would be before he was finally allowed to leave this chaos of swarming, loud people. He started thinking, but not about depressing prospects or dark threats this time: about Sakura. First, he caught himself wishing she could be here to keep him company –an idea he quickly pushed away, embarrassed by his selfishness- then came questions about his… _thoughts_. Was he acting the right way with Sakura? Was he supposed to do more? Less? Was Sakura happy enough with him? This mind-mess didn't last long either as Sasuke forced himself to dismiss it all with a long gulp of punch. He felt the liquid caress his throat in a mix of feather-softness and itchy prickliness until the very last drop and, bringing the empty glass back down, he sighed for the umpteenth time that night while imagining all the trouble he would have to go through to get another glass…

"A problem, Sasuke-kun?"

Black orbs traveled up to find sparkly green ones. Sakura tugged on the hem of her short red qipao dress, self-conscious under his gaze. Unlike Haruko, the kunoichi hadn't picked out anything fancy and was wearing her usual jounin clothes, having simply taken off her knee and arm warmers as well as the kunai pouch on her leg and the removable one behind her belt. It didn't mean that she wasn't ready to punch the first foolish pervert in any case. She gave Sasuke a forewarning by clearing her throat however, as she blushed a darker red with his eyes shamelessly lingering on her body.

Even after being caught staring he remained placid, calm and impassive with the pink haired medic fidgeting before him. Sasuke Uchiha simply never lost face if it was not for Naruto Uzumaki and his antics. "Hmm…" Sakura began, embarrassed. She bit the inside of her cheek, blinked and willed the unease away to continue in a more confident tone "Sasuke-kun, I have a surprise for you!"

The young man arched his eyebrow a little, signaling for her to continue. "I can't tell you here" she said. Then in a hushed, but excited tone with her hand extended towards him "Come on!"

Sasuke noticed her left hand that she kept hidden from view behind her back but nonetheless took the one she was offering. If she was giving him a chance to walk away from here, he would seize it.

Sakura carefully dissimulated her left hand with each of her movements as she guided her teammate past the crowd through the border of the area where there was less people -though it still took them some time to make it to the other side. Sasuke was rather confused. He had believed that Sakura would drag him to the dance floor and argue with him until he accepted to dance -not that he would have anyway. His theory was proven wrong upon reaching the floral arches bordering the other side of the village when Sakura looked around, hurriedly reached up for the nearest lampion (with a tinkling sound?) and sneaked past towards the houses. Rather curious, Sasuke followed until they reached the edge of the forest and walked past the first few trees. Sakura finally halted once in the small clearing where they had waited on the day they had decided to question Yui. She let go of Sasuke's hand and made her way to a nearby tree stump –about her size and with a few odd, leafless branches sticking out- to hang her orange lampion on a thin branch. Sasuke heard a tinkling sound again at this moment and when she spun back around to face him.

"What was that?" He inquired as she advanced towards him slowly.

"Oh, you mean _that_?" Stopping in her tracks, Sakura lifted up her left hand for the lampion's glow to illuminate a set of tinkling keys. Even with the little light of the night and the lampion, the kunoichi's grin was clearly visible on her lips. "These are the keys to the inn. I _borrowed_ them from Masami-san earlier but…" she drove her hand to the back of her belt and fumbled with it for a moment, probably to put the keys behind it so that they wouldn't fall. "…I won't give them to you unless…"

Sakura joined the silent Uchiha in a few strides, the light from the lampion behind her casting a golden glow around her face and hair like a thin halo while that of the crescent moon above lit the top of her head and the diamond on her forehead in ethereal blue. The sole place where both lights were brought together was in her eyes with two opposite sparks swimming strikingly into deep pools of viridian. Her lips weren't kissed by the light, but the dark blue night surrounded them most gracefully as their corners went up to reach her ears "…you dance with me!"

Sasuke blinked in surprise when the pink haired girl suddenly grabbed his hands and started twirling around, joyfully, laughing. Maybe his theories weren't so wrong after all. Even when the music was considerably lower from here, Sakura didn't seem to mind in the least as she yanked Sasuke's hands here and there in an effort to make the motionless man follow her movements –while he strived to keep his feet firmly rooted on the grassy earth. "Sakura, I don't dance" Sasuke growled out.

Regardless, the kunoichi held one of his hands above her head to spin around like in a waltz before her innocent –stunning- eyes found his "You don't?" She suddenly stilled. Her fingers gripping his hand relaxed, but wouldn't let go of it. Sakura fixed her gaze there, where their palms were joined, hanging limply between them "It's too bad, I thought you were dreaming of going back to the inn to rest. Besides," she looked back up to grin cutely at the raven haired young man "no one can see you here."

' _That's why she dragged me all the way to the forest'_ he realized. Sakura knew she had no chance of convincing Sasuke if she put him on display on the dance floor, and it was true that the two shinobis were well dissimulated in the center of the clearing, encircled by large trunks and bushy foliage -nobody would see Sasuke making a fool of himself. He should have guessed earlier. What could have possibly distracted him to the point where…?

"Alright, put your hands here like this." Sakura's voice made him part with his thoughts abruptly. The medic-nin took advantage of his inattention to bring his arms around her waist and lay his hands on the back of her belt. Sasuke opened wide onyx eyes as she put her arms around his neck in turn "And don't even think about stealing the keys 'cause I'd make you regret it."

The look she gave him clearly wasn't to be taken lightly -Sasuke _almost_ gulped. Instead he glared at her. He wouldn't dance and that was final.

The two could pick up the sound of a violin's peaceful melody in the distance as they both remained silent during their staring contest. Harmonious voices followed along with steel guitar -the clamor of the crowd too but it wasn't as pleasant of a sound to focus on. If one listened closely enough, they would also hear a few crickets hidden in the woods. Suddenly, Sakura sighed. Sasuke couldn't help but be surprised at the stubborn kunoichi's presumed giving up, but then he saw a pink head drop onto his chest and snuggle into it. Sakura's eyelids stayed closed for a minute before she gazed up at Sasuke, her head still against his heart "You should be fine with a slow, right?"

Without waiting for his approval, she started swaying a little on her feet, urging her partner to do the same. _'Is that dancing?'_ Sasuke wondered. He had thought it implied a much more difficult choreography or something, he even remembered someone telling him it was as complex as a sword kata -Naruto maybe? No, the dobe couldn't even wield a blade without poking his own eye…

Sasuke felt a small vibration against his chest as light notes came to his ears. He lowered his head a bit to find Sakura quietly humming to the song in the background. It was nice…it all felt nice: her hands hanging at the back of his neck, tickling his long raven spikes gently, her breath softly blowing from her nose onto his collarbone, her silky hair brushing his chin, her petite form pressed against him… It felt warm; it felt good. Better than he had been in months before she had joined him on his journey. How he relished in her presence now…Sasuke could only be grateful for all these wonderful things she was making him feel. Even after the war, it still seemed so new, _otherworldly_ to him.

He dipped his head lower so that pink hair caressed his cheek when he found the corner of Sakura's ear. Without thinking, he kissed it. She quivered like a leaf in surprise and he remembered what he had to do before anything.

He took a deep breath, still close to her ear so that Sakura shivered all the more, then lifted his head back up "Back then…" he whispered, not emotionlessly this once but with as much feeling as he could muster "…I don't know what would have happened if I had stayed."

Sakura jumped abruptly against him, knowing exactly what he was referring to. It was still on his mind, that night, seven years ago, at the exit of Konoha –probably because they had mentioned it a few days prior. She would have told Sasuke not to bother with this event anymore but his words intrigued her. They sounded like the beginning of the truth Sakura had sought for years inside the endless depths of dark obsidian orbs and maybe a bit selfishly, she wanted to know what he had to say.

So she remained unmoving and let the young Uchiha continue in his low, deep voice "Maybe I would have obtained less power, maybe not…Maybe we would have been happier…together…" Sasuke's tone quieted even more, almost inaudible "…Maybe Itachi would still be alive. I really don't know. That's why…I can't regret it." His grip on the red fabric covering Sakura's back lessened a little. In truth, he just wanted to hold her tighter and ensure that she wouldn't go, but he couldn't bring himself to, he couldn't force her after everything. "I hurt you and Naruto deliberately…I thought I would never be forgiven for all I did, sometimes I still believe so" his husky voice cracked at this, a truth he would have never dared to utter before. "Sakura" and the way he said her name, so softly… "I'm sorry."

A sweet murmur came in reply as he was about to withdraw his hands from her back "You already apologized" the pink haired girl replied, most honest.

She nuzzled her cheek as close to the shocked Uchiha as possible but he briskly seized her shoulders and pushed her away to meet her widening eyes straight on. Sasuke couldn't believe an apology of two years ago could repair all the damage he had done; back then, more than half of him hadn't either. So how could Sakura be so calm about it and wave it all off like that? Sasuke had seen her broken, down on her knees, crying her heart out way too many times; yet she was still reassuring him as if it were all erased from her memory? How could she keep smiling around him? How could she be surprised right now? How could she… _love_ him after everything? Sasuke had asked himself countless times as he lay awake at night but never found answers to all these questions that could be put into one "…How could you forgive me?"

Sakura looked at him, perplexed. There was one very simple answer to this but the onyx eyes that stared at her so full of questions told her it wasn't what they needed right then. In the dim light, these eyes observed the small, genuine smile that slowly tilted up the corners of her lips. Her own green ones looked filled with thoughts too as she pondered on the exact right words for a few minutes. "It's funny, I had been thinking about this for the first few months when you were away…" Sakura spoke in a calm, simple, earnest tone "I think it's because…you made me who I am today. I was heartbroken when you left but, because of you…No, _thanks to you_ , I wanted to become stronger." The girl's voice lowered but her eyes didn't and brightened more instead if possible. "Even…if you hurt me before…now, you're here."

Sakura shook her head to push away some tears. It wasn't the moment to cry! She still hadn't said the most important! The kunoichi bravely looked up again into rounded black eyes to carry on "You told me that I had nothing to do with your sins, but I think that…neither do you, I mean…!" Sakura struggled for the right words to finish "The Sasuke of today is a man who cares for his comrades deeply. He is justice-imbued, secretly altruist and terribly kind in spite of himself. All he wants is to fit in this world by the time he manages to make it go round again and for people around him to be happy, that's why he tries so hard to make amends…There is nothing to apologize for…for a man like this…"

Lips crashed onto Sakura's to kiss her senselessly. She understood him. All these hidden feelings he dared not face or realize, she had nailed them to perfection. Right then was the first time he allowed himself to think _**it**_ , but now was time for actions to take the lead. Sasuke held her impossibly close to him with his hands on her waist and back, but he wasn't controlling them at all. All his attention was on the soft pink lips under his as he caressed them, stroke them with his mouth that had obtained a mind of its own. He was drinking everything out of her, draining almost, until the very last drop, and heavens did she provide…Sakura responded as eagerly as he had started but under his endless, rough assaults, she soon became preoccupied with the need for air. While she still had the slightest resistance, she tried to push his shoulders away but to no success as the hand on her back only traveled further up to entangle in her hair and bring her mouth closer. Sakura was overwhelmed, suffocating; she couldn't even hear the desperate puffs of breath gusting from their noses in the clearing, the breath they were trying so hard to suppress for their lips to stay joined for eternity. Screw oxygen, Sakura didn't want this to end for anything in the world. Especially when the hand that wasn't in her hair was trailing further down to her hip excruciatingly slow and leaving warm tingles on her skin behind her dress as it went. It wouldn't stop, it wouldn't end; they wouldn't let it end. Her chest constricted, crying frantically for air while she felt the rough, warm bandaged tips of his fingers travel up the slit of her dress, above the hem of her black shorts and to her naked side.

They parted without warning. Sasuke broke away from her lips and both let out a loud sigh followed by deep pants -it was all the two shinobis could hear for a while. Sakura slowly regained her senses and felt a cool sensation on her half-open mouth. She realized it was the chilly night breeze drying the saliva left on her lips and mindlessly licked it away with her tongue, letting out hushed giggles afterwards at the stupidity of such act. Overwhelmed, Sasuke was still breathing harshly onto her face, his own barely far enough to study the deep red blush on her cheeks as well as her shiny, swollen rosy lips, the disheveled pink hair around her face because of the mess he had made with his hand, and the playful, loving spark in her hazy emerald eyes. Sasuke's hands hadn't moved either, they held Sakura tight and close, so that her body's warmth radiated onto his own. These eyes, this face, this body…he wanted it all, nothing more, nothing less.

It must have showed through his eyes as Sakura giggled a little more. She unclasped one of her hands from Sasuke's neck to delicately cup his cheek. He didn't stir, simply tried to slow down his low breath while her thumb drifted from his heated, crimson cheek to the corner of his left eye carefully, then to his slightly moist lower lip and his chin to finally rest in between his jaw and ear, behind strands of dark raven hair.

"…Is it the moment?" Sakura whispered softly.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Uwaaa!~ I'm sure you guys liked this one. At least I did while writing it.^^_

 _So tell me what you thought, I want all the fluffy details!_

 _Side notes: _

_-I thought of Taylor Swift's "Crazier" for the music playing in the background at the party. Not that I think it fits sasusaku or anything, but it's just a sweet romantic song that I thought would go well with this chapter's mood. You agree? If you have other songs in mind, I'm open to suggestions!_

 _-I was also proven wrong about Naruto not being able to wield a sword with Boruto the Movie, but whatever, I didn't believe it when I saw it anyway... :P_

 _'Till next Thursday!_


	29. 28,5

They were so filled with desire and warmth, here, in this room they had uncomfortably shared until then, wrapped in a passionate kiss and in each other's arms as they clumsily stumbled their way to the bed. It was dark, but some light filtered through the curtains from the party outside, along with low notes of music, but neither he or she cared for this at the moment –how they had made it here was already long cast away from their memory as well. She was pushed backwards onto the mattress and that's when she realized exactly what was going to happen, but this wasn't bothering her, really, for she had sparked this up in the first place and wanted it at least as much as he did. Oh how she loved him, his kisses, his warmth, even his needy touch on every parcel of her still clothed figure; although it was this latter thing that brought the anguish back from the depths of her mind. Her eyes struggled to open in the midst of their fervent kissing, just barely enough to reassure her that everything was fine, that it was him, with his messy raven bangs cupping his flushed face in the darkness, his strong body pressed against hers in an attempt to annihilate any form of distance between them. He was fondling her sides, running his hands up and down, as crazy with his lips as with his fingers it seemed -but it was fine really, really…She wanted this, she had been wanting this for so long; to be with him. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him touching her as such, even when he had half a mind to think or talk or breathe in the middle of their passion, even when he was pushing her down like this onto the mattress, caging her between him and the bed –he was carnal, driven by raw instinct, but she loved him just as he was, she always had even in spite of her better judgment and she wouldn't want him any other way. It also kind of amazed her that he had apparently lost all of his self-control, it would have at least, had she not been in perfect possession of her thoughts at a time like this. These thoughts went along the lines of _'don't mess up'_ , _'focus on the pleasure'_ , _'everything is fine'_ ; but truly it was fine. Yes, everything was just fine. Only was it normal that her sweat felt cold on her temple?

She would not take her vicious shaking as an abnormality and he, mostly oblivious, pressed on by kissing down her jaw, nibbling at her ear –she couldn't help the violent shudder and gasp at this, but he probably misinterpreted it and waved it off after finding an obstacle in his way. With no time to spare, one hand lunged at the buttons of her collar while the other abruptly hiked up her dress to the level of her belly. And this made her gasp loudly; with her eyes widening in fear as the memories flashed before them, she recalled the traumatizing image of another tanned man with blond hair and maroon eyes in the same position on top of her, doing things to her, forcing her, hurting her.

She roughly pushed her lover off of her, sitting up straight with her hands on her heart immediately once free. He stared, bewildered. He thought he had done something wrong or hurt her; and he wasn't so far off from the truth even when her weak stutters of "N-no, no, please…I'm sorry! It's okay, I-I didn't mean to…" tried to assure him otherwise. She was certain he was going to be upset, or disappointed, or angry at her because of her stupid –painful- lingering fears, but to her sheer surprise, he displayed none of those things either on his face or in his voice. First he asked her if she wanted to stop –"No" she replied determinedly- then he tried to investigate the cause of her earlier rejection –silence and a watery downcast gaze met his inquiry; he needed nothing more to make the link with her trauma.

Now shaken out of his blank, lust-possessed mind, he could do things properly and lean in to press a tender kiss to her lips. A moment later he pulled back, sat on his knees on the sheets in front of her and thought some more before suggesting that she led the way instead of him in a manner to keep control of her fright. Her eyes became _**so**_ shiny with love at this instant that he could no longer see the water at their corners -he believed he had never seen them sparkling as brightly as then, and that was saying something. After wiping the remainders of tears away, she kissed him, slowly at first then gradually growing confident. Shyness returned at its end when she hesitantly placed her delicate hands on his shoulder to trail butterfly kisses down his jaw and neck, encouraged by the arm he snaked around her waist to gently bring her closer. He stopped her once she reached his collarbone only to strip out of his flak jacket and shirt to allow her better access. However, she didn't carry on after this move and simply sat silent before him, making the young man wonder what his mistake was yet again. It took her a minute to gather the courage to look up into his obsidian orbs while at the same time her hands traveled up to her collar. When she did, her confession came out in a soft whisper "I love you." Warmth made his heart swell at these words despite the coldness of the room due to their bodies not touching anymore. He knew it wasn't over yet though, he had to let her finish; but before she did, her hands made quick work of the buttons of her collar and she pulled the red qipao dress over her head. She was right there, her top half solely covered by the signature one-strap black bra of a kunoichi, for his eyes only to drink in the sight of her porcelain skin that he so longed to caress. "I hate having to ask you this but for now…" she eventually continued, green gaze courageously fixed onto his "please, be gentle."

He wouldn't rush her again, but right then he just had to kiss her deeply, fervently. It was his promise –one of his rare promises, only for her. And he held her so tightly, so securely to him, that Sakura didn't feel trapped as Sasuke laid her back down on the mattress, but showered with love, especially when they finally became one.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _PLEASE! Don't shout!_

 _Ok, I know this is short, but I've been busy and...guess what?_

 _Followers of the Yato god among you all will be happy to know that I just published a one-shot about Noragami called Long Forgotten. You can find it on my profile page!_

 _~O~_

 _For my defense, be assured that the next chapter will be much, MUCH longer. Until then I hope you enjoyed this intermediate chapter. I tried to make it very sweet so they could deal together with Sakura's trauma. Tell me your thoughts! :)_


	30. Part 6 - Chapter 29

_**FLY AWAY – Part 6 : Daydream**_

 _ **Chapter 29**_

Sakura didn't ever remember feeling so comfortable upon waking up the next day, naked under the covers of the bed she shared with Sasuke. The broad chest that served as her pillow was most probably one of the main reasons, along with the strong arm encircling her waist as she laid on her stomach, with her head on his right shoulder and her arm around him as well. Right now, Sakura was warm and well, not even the morning light filtering from under the white curtain behind her could have bothered her. _'But then why…?'_ A drowsy tone suggesting neither a question nor a statement cut in her thoughts:

"I woke you up."

The kunoichi forced the eyelids that she had stubbornly kept close to finally open, slowly tilting her head up to find Sasuke's peaceful features. As Sakura finally came about and rubbed her eyes with the hand that had been on his chest, she noticed the fingers brushing through her messy pink locks on top of her head. _'Aww~…'_ she thought hazily _'Sasuke-kun is so sweet, caressing my hair…But I woke up because of him.'_ Sakura giggled lightly, contemplating whether she should tease him about it or not. After all, a ninja was supposed to be stealthy by trade, _especially_ an Uchiha.

Feeling his hand still in her hair, she dismissed the idea and sighed contentedly instead "I want to wake up like that every day…"

A soft hum came from his closed lips in response. The skin of Sakura's lower bare back became exposed when she shifted a little to burrow her head in her lover's neck, so Sasuke tugged the blanket further up to cover her better. It was rather out of character for him to still be so gentle, just like she had asked the previous night. She didn't mind; in fact, this simple, yet heart-warming knowledge was sure to imprint a smile on her face for the whole day. However, Sakura was growing mischievous at such act _'Oh? He couldn't be shy now, could he?'_ The corners of her mouth twitched further up _'He's got my chest pressed against him and he's trying to cover me? After what we did last night?_ ' It was getting difficult not to laugh. Ok, maybe Sasuke just thought she would be cold, but it couldn't hurt to have a little more fun, right?

Cheeks slightly pink, Sakura pushed her torso up so that her naked upper-half was fully exposed before his eyes. He might have passed as impassive, but the Uchiha-experienced kunoichi knew better: she clearly deciphered the appreciation in his deep charcoal orbs as they became more clouded with _other things_ … Sakura smiled sweetly, lowering herself onto her elbows to move her face closer to his instead and place her right hand on his smooth cheek. Words became superfluous when she pressed her lips against his, kissing delicately and slowly at first, but then losing patience and deepening the contact. Sakura had to feel slightly annoyed to find Sasuke smirking into the kiss (probably amused by her sudden boldness), though she couldn't care for long considering how overjoyed and in love she was. Sasuke's right hand found her hair again and started toying with it; his other lay idle on the arch of her back while the one Sakura had left on his cheek moved to grip his shoulder as though for dear life. It irritated her so much that he managed to stay composed as such while she was pouring every last drop of her passion through this kiss. Last night she had forced him to hold back, but now she was perfectly fine, her heart swarming with fervent love –how silly it made her act combined with such happiness. And so, maybe a bit foolishly but without a mind to care, Sakura wanted her companion to lose it, to see exactly what kind of reactions she could rouse from him. Determined, the pink haired girl set out to explore with her tongue in his mouth and her free hand running all over his torso –the latter left touches soft as flower petals wrinkling water onto his skin; she could feel every muscle tensing under her fingertips. Teasing but not depraved was the rule.

Sasuke's grip on her waist suddenly strengthened and before she knew it, Sakura was on her back with a more than alluring Uchiha on top of her. As soon as she had had enough time to behold his toned chest, the messy raven locks cupping the sides of his angular face and his dark eyes filled with desire, he plunged down to kiss her feverishly. Sakura would have thrown a mental "Shannaro" of victory hadn't she been so busy with the mad man eating out her mouth right then.

Things were getting out of hand. If they went on like this, the villagers of Suiden would give them weird looks for the remainder of their stay because of the racket they had made this morning. But neither of the two had a mind for this when their world was solely in each other's arms at this moment. Sasuke nibbled at a particularly sensitive spot on Sakura's neck so that she had to repress a loud moan of pleasure. She clawed at his hair and brought his face back to hers to kiss him again as his hands traveled down her body, down, down, down…

"Sasuke! Sakura! Get out of here! We've got tons of things to do today!"

The kunoichi pushed her lover's lips off of hers with a shocked gasp, mortified while he was still hovering above her, mildly surprised at best.

Three consecutive loud bangs were heard on their door after the teenage girl on the other side received no answer. "Come oooon!" She drawled, banging some more on the annoyingly silent wooden surface.

With the intent of sitting up in resignation, Sakura took her hands off of Sasuke's strong shoulders only for him to instantly dive back down and resume his previous activity. The medic gave a hushed, high-pitched yelp as he attacked her collarbone again, pressing her body flat on the mattress in the process. "S-Sasuke-kun, what are you doing…!?" She hissed under her breath. It seemed like Sasuke wouldn't listen for the life of him. He was too engulfed in the pink haired young woman under him to mind a nosy little girl's whining; Sakura was much more important than that. This moment was theirs alone, Haruko would have to deal with it.

"You'd better reply 'cause if you don't get a move on I'll get my aunt's passkey and drag you out myself!" Haruko's booming voice obviously suggested irritation, directed by anyone's guess at the two shinobis' reluctance.

Suddenly and most unexpectedly coming from the hell-bent, hormonal young male on top of Sakura, Sasuke growled out a short sigh, sat up, paused a second with his gaze directed at the door, threw on a pair of pants and took his teammate's hand to pull her up after he had. She staggered a little, trying to grab the sheets and make a decent cover over her nude body before Sasuke dragged her to the door on the wall opposite the bed –the one leading to the bathroom, common to all the rooms in the inn and conveniently adjacent to their own.

"I'm counting to three, guys!" Haruko warned for the umpteenth time. Her persistence was surely a thing to be reckoned with, they'd give her that. "One…"

Once in the bathroom –a small rectangular room with an old, wooden, heavily bath-carpeted floor, a small mirror on the right above a remote furniture with a sink where Sakura's few supplies were laid out and a fairly big, round porcelain bathtub in the left corner -Sasuke made for the tap of the bathtub and turned the water on. He stormed outside the door at once, leaving a puzzled kunoichi behind, her toes wrinkling the thin, white carpets a little, the drapes wrapped clumsily around her chest and similar to a ball-dress's train on the floor. The sound from the tap covered all else as Sakura strained to hear what was transpiring in the corridor. She trusted Sasuke, but right then, round-eyed and alone in the cold bathroom, she had absolutely no idea what he had in mind.

As expected, the half-decent Uchiha found a grumpy Haruko with her hands on her hips at his doorstep. If in his zombified, Sakura-drunk state he had noticed the widening of the girl's eyes and the red coming to her cheeks at the sight of his muscled torso and pants hanging loosely around his waist, Sasuke's blank expression didn't let on any ounce of annoyance nor care.

Yes, he was awfully sexy, what of it? Haruko wasn't about to let him off the hook just like that! She had a very important reason for coming after all! So she blinked her surprise away, reprimanding "You took your sweet time, didn't you? Anyway, I'm not gonna ask you just what you and Sakura were doing in there…" Olive eyes turned malicious "I heard noise inside the room before you turned the water on, really, I wonder…"

"Sakura's taking a bath" Sasuke replied, impermeable to the teen's teasing. "I'm going next. Then we'll see about your plans."

Haruko snickered devilishly "Alright! Today we're gonna go to the market in the next town and _finally_ train with the archers! My mom also needs your help to send a letter to Ryokai –since we promised, you know- and my brother Haiiro wanted to see Sakura really bad, so you both get dressed and…!"

Before she could finish the door closed in her face. Haruko let out a displeased grumble, cursing the Uchiha. She giggled however, as she made her way downstairs to find her aunt moping the floor of the lobby. Upon being asked how her 'errand' had turned out by Masami, Haruko's smirk widened.

"I guess I'll just have to wait until they're done having fun in the bathroom." She gave an exaggerated sigh "Really, these two can be so immature. They're lucky to have me around!"

~O~

"I can't believe you're already leaving!" Haruko whined for the whole village to hear. "It's only been a week and we still…" Her rambling hadn't stopped all morning as Sakura and Sasuke were packing and even now at the end of the road of Suiden when they were finally set to depart.

Quite a number of villagers had freed themselves of their daily routine to see the two shinobis off -something unusual for the lone-wolf Sasuke, but even as such, he found he couldn't really complain about this mass of people he had barely even talked to in a week gathered especially for him and Sakura. He wouldn't have used words as powerful as 'extraordinary' or 'wonderful' to describe the feeling welling up inside him at the sight of these villagers who had treated the renegade he had once been like any other man. It was simply… _heartwarming_. Even Haruko couldn't bring a scowl to his face with all her pleas and propositions for far-fetched activities that they had yet to do together –just when he had thought there could not possibly be many left. Perhaps Sasuke could tolerate this girl because of how much she reminded him of the terribly persistent twelve year old Sakura, perhaps he was thankful for her advice that night by the beach when Sakura had stormed off into the woods and without which he would have lost his teammate's smile, or maybe it was just her overly high spirits and perceptiveness of other's feelings that had made 'the icicle man' grow to like her in spite of himself.

If anything at all, Sasuke didn't regret saving her. But after one week it was about time he and Sakura hit the road again. _"I don't want to have to deal with rain anymore, so I think we should go south!"_ had she said. So south they would go, or at least if Haruko and her little brother stopped clinging onto the pink haired kunoichi's arm and leg (respectively).

"Look, Haruko this isn't goodbye" Sakura made a weak attempt to free herself from the teenage girl's iron strong grip. "We'll see each other again" still no luck to make her let go "You wanted to come to Konoha someday, right?" what else could the medic say? What other argument could she possibly use if this one didn't work!? Desperation was slowly creeping into Sakura's mind. What hope could there be with someone so stubborn?

"But why do you have to leave!?" Haruko shouted, pouting almost angrily. Realizing that she had omitted a certain detail in her outburst, she quickly corrected herself "…I mean, so _early_!"

The other villagers remained contemplative while Sakura's eyes softened a bit. They were probably ready to offer hospitality for a longer stay as they had become used to the two Leaf ninjas' presence. Truly, Sakura could only be glad for that, but they needed to understand. She stole a look at her companion behind her before starting to explain in his stead "Sasuke-kun took me on his journey to observe the world. As shinobis, we saw it first-handedly during the war and we want to know how it's holding up now and changing." The kunoichi glanced back at her companion again to make sure she hadn't said anything out of line. His gaze held approval so she smiled. "Besides," Sakura continued, more relaxed "there are probably people around who could use a hand like you."

Haruko bit her lower lip, still unwilling to look up at Sakura as she let go of her arm and pouted at the ground. Behind the younger girl, Yui smiled gently and freed one of her arms holding her youngest son to place a hand on her daughter's shoulder, saying "We understand."

Haruko instantly lifted up her head, a finger held in front of Sakura's face in a scolding gesture so that the kunoichi recoiled a bit "Yeah, but it doesn't mean you can just slack off! You guys need to be serious even without me, no kiddin'!"

Sakura giggled lightly, apparently not understanding what she meant exactly; Sasuke coughed. As arguable as her point might be, they weren't about to start discussing it. Now there was only one small problem left, down there, hugging Sakura's knee with all his strength, was the little hazel eyed boy who had been the very first to trust them: Haruko's brother, Haiiro.

Sakura patted the kid's head "Come on, Haiiro… I'm sorry but we've got to go."

In response, Haiiro shook his head with his cheeks squashed against her thigh each in turn, so that tears began wetting her skin. Sakura frowned at this and made to crouch down, Haiiro lunging to hug her front with his short arms and bury his face in her chest as soon as she was level with him. His choice of a spot to stay was innocent naturally, but Sakura found a startled gasp escaping her mouth and pink coming to her cheeks- long gone however after she heard him sob. For some reason she could not quite explain, Haiiro had grown extremely fond of her extremely fast upon her return back with his sister. This in itself was part of an answer, but maybe out of his two benefactors, Sakura's caring nature as a medic had conquered his affection more easily than Sasuke's cold outer appearance -that and the fact that she had played and looked after him when his sister had been too busy trying to talk the Uchiha into going shopping at the tailor's…

So Sakura hugged him back carefully, motherly, until his sorrow would ease, whispering kind words of "It's alright" and "Everything will be okay" while smoothing his fair hair. She too after all, had become attached to this little, cute boy.

The fifteen or so people who had stayed after Haruko's outburst looked on, among them an Uchiha admiring of his teammate's impressive skill. Haiiro's sobs were quieting; had it been up to Sasuke, he would still be wailing and crying his eyes out right now. Sakura was good at this –understanding, kind, tactful, gentle and tender when needed to be, compassionate, loving…the list went on- better than he could ever hope to be. Suddenly, Haruko was hugging his waist like she had the first day she met him, yelling out a goodbye to bring him out of his thoughts. She succeeded for the two minutes Sasuke strived to push her off him, then, as Sakura exchanged hugs and farewells with Yui, Masami and the other villagers –he nods and short sentences- the raven haired young man realized the image of the boy crying in Sakura's arms was stuck in his mind. Long after he had warded off Haruko's last silly joke and Sakura had laughed, after they had seen the teen wave with her family at her side and disappear amidst the green foliage of the forest, Sasuke was still dwelling on this thought. This image… _why_ that night, when he lay by the extinguished campfire drowsy and ready to join Sakura to dreamland where she had preceded him, did the child's blond hair turn raven black by a twist of his imagination?

~O~

It took twelve days of traveling south for Sasuke's point to get across to his overly obstinate teammate. They were in the beginning of summer, halfway through May by the time they had reached the River Country with the thermometer playing haphazardly between soft spring atmospheres and intense, dry heat. No argument was better than that of the sandy wind whipping Sakura's face once at the gates of the desert which had at last made her forget the idea of a visit to Temari, Kakurou and Gaara. Going to Sunagakure in the beginning of summer was **not** a good idea -Sasuke knew from past experiences that temperatures in this kind of region could prove terribly harassing to the point of making him wish he could really be an ice-cube; whether it be in the summer daylight when the heat could dry dead even a cactus or in the winter with the desert's polar nights. Heavens knew he had tried –subtly, yet a _tiny bit_ insistently if you asked him- to make the pink haired medic change her mind earlier, but no, it had taken a whole long trip to have her realize her mistake. He didn't mind all that much since they were _traveling_ after all. Besides, they did manage to help out in a small village near the frontier by taking down some rogue ninjas –one day alone had been enough to track the thugs down to their base and finish up with a rather generous reward at the end, which came very handy after months of wandering. Sasuke could still complain about Sakura's stubbornness or how she had had to wait until the very last minute to finally listen to him (after a week of saying he was just reluctant to go because of his childhood-long dislike of the Kazekage) but he voiced none of that, simply because.

Now however, a small dispute had come in to disturb the smooth trek of the two travelers back from the desert and towards the border of the River Country. Its cause: the stream, a branch of the larger river separating the Wind Country from the River, coursing gently in the middle of their way, almost like the current was too tired to flow and be seen by onlookers. The water was impressively clear as if the mountain from which it originated was right uphill, making it look as azure blue as the sky and lightly tinged with green because of the tree leaves reflected on it –one would not be fooled though, and believe that frogs, fishes, mosquitos and aquatic plant life didn't live within its depths. This was the other thing: the stream was at least five feet deep in its center with rocks aligning closer to shore and scraping at the surface of the water as far as they could go without being entirely submerged. A 'normal' problem would have been to cross this twelve meters wide stream, but for two shinobis who had long learned to move on top of water as easily as on firm earth, the nature of the issue was else.

The intrepid, playful, sometimes too childish kunoichi whom Sasuke had chosen as his companion had seen an amazing opportunity to refresh and have fun where he could only see a stream to cross before moving on to find a good spot for the night. No sooner had he turned to ask why she had stopped walking that she had already stripped down to her black tight shorts and the simple, black, one-strap bra kunoichis favored with the net-fabric shirt underneath covering her belly. As he blinked in disbelief, Sakura merely discarded her piled up, more or less folded clothes and pouches on a rock before rushing towards the water. Sasuke wasn't going to ask what she was doing, he was smarter than that.

Walking deeper into the water and using a rock to lower herself shoulder deep in it, the young medic-nin sighed contentedly "Aah…That's the stuff." Then she turned to Sasuke, still stiff on the shore and looking sinister while observing her. She exclaimed "You should come too, it's really refreshing!"

"If you want to cool down, let's just move and get out of this country" was his immediate counter. He could stand walking through the flat, dusty desert in the Lightning country, but he didn't like the area surrounding Suna at all, it was as physical as unexplainable to him.

Sakura pouted, swam lazily and hung her arms on the next round rock, positioning her chin on it as though it were a pillow and urging him to join her with the strength of a hundred _come on_ , _relax_ , _it'll be fun_ and _loosen up_. However deadly this technique might be, Sasuke wasn't budging, so she smiled lopsidedly without saying a word anymore. Slightly puzzled, he stared in return, wondering what on Earth she had in store for him -because naturally, it would be too easy if she just agreed nicely to resume walking.

"Alright," Sakura said when the staring contest grew old "we're gonna play this fair and square." She pushed her body up on the rock to sit on it as the sun kissed the sparkly droplets of water rolling down her arms, belly, sides and –god, of course- her long, lean, crossed legs. Sasuke highly suspected this was done on purpose and let out of a small "Hn" half of derision, but also half of appreciation.

Sakura smiled cutely in response before adopting a supposedly serious demeanor and lifting up a finger in the air "Sasuke-kun, I'm challenging you. If you win, we hit the road, but if I win, you come with me and have a dip." Dark eyebrows knitted above narrow, suspicious obsidian eyes. It had been a while since she had last seen him, but this truly sounded like one of Naruto's childish games. Could it be that the blond still had an influence on her character while far away in Konoha? Sakura began explaining "Let's say you come walking near the middle of the water and I'll have three minutes to splash you. You win if you stay dry, but err…" Sakura looked around behind her at the rocks nearest the middle of the stream "…You have a limited zone that you can't cross, otherwise it's too hard for me if I stay in the water and I can't touch the bottom."

Sasuke sighed, shaking his head slowly back and forth. Yup, just like Naruto's games. But Sakura was chanting 'come on' again and again, so eventually he asked blankly "How're we going to tell when three minutes are up?"

"I don't know, maybe you can count?"

"…Hn" this girl would be the end of him, but at least she had offered him an easy way out of their dispute. Dodging and evading? Please, like Orochimaru, the _snake_ sannin wouldn't teach him that well enough.

"You're not taking off you sword or your shoes?" Sakura questioned while he strode her way, wrinkling the surface of the water slightly. Sasuke shook his head again. "I won't hold back you know" Sakura smirked, but once in the middle of the four large rocks forming a misshaped square in the center of the stream, the raven haired young man merely scoffed a "Shall we begin?" in reply.

Her smile widened at that. Instantly, Sakura rose from her rock and jumped. She hugged her knees and curled her body into a tight ball, effectively creating a water bomb which splashed great amounts of water all around the spot of the impact. Not bad, but Sasuke only had to leap back in time and land nimbly onto the now unstable surface of the water to avoid getting wet. _'…17…18…'_ he counted in his head.

Before he had the time to wonder why Sakura wasn't resurfacing yet, she appeared right under his left ankle –using the water as coverage while she used her strength to propel herself speedily towards him like a torpedo was indeed a smart strategy worthy of a shinobi. The Uchiha didn't dwell on this thought and jumped up again to avoid the attack, but this actually turned out to be his fatal mistake. Sakura had been crouching on a rock hidden underwater and was ready to leap up like a spring at the same time as Sasuke to join him in the air -by that time it was too late for him to understand that unlike Naruto, Sakura remained a kunoichi with tactics before being the player of a game.

His loss came in the form of Sakura throwing her wet arms around his neck, but moreover, gravity had its way with them as the icing on the cake. Once back up to the surface, Sasuke found himself soaked from head to toe –sword, leather shoes, bandages on his prosthesis and all; how glad he was to have left his bag on shore- with Sakura laughing her head off in his lap. He cursed between his teeth. To make things worse if possible, it had only taken her 28 seconds to put him in this state -he had counted. Right then, the pink haired girl was into a fit of uncontrollable giggles and Sasuke had to be more embarrassed than he had been in a long while.

"Shut up" he growled out, looking at anything but his teammate's hilarity.

Sakura tried to calm down a bit to articulate, slightly breathless "I did warn you, Sasuke-kun!" And she laughed some more.

"Tch" the young man turned his head away, wishing the medic would let go of his neck so he could preserve the last of his dignity. Not only did she tighten her grip at the nape of his neck after a while, but she pecked his cheek too and plunged her beautiful, but apologetic eyes into his the moment he instinctively looked back at her. The last touch to make him feel totally miserable was her trying to console him after he had been defeated so easily. Proud and vindictive as he was, Sasuke promised himself to never foolishly underestimate this girl ever again.

Sakura's laughter had died down as she was now flashing him a smaller smile, like her quiet voice "Hey, don't be mad. Please…I didn't want to upset you."

Just great. In one day, Sasuke Uchiha had been dragged to the desert he so hated, forced to travel back to the River Country the same way he had come, ridiculed in less than thirty seconds by his teammate and on top of that, he still managed to turn the light mood sour. But what could he say? Like his stupid pride would allow him to apologize profusely and start splashing water playfully at Sakura… Besides, that was something Naruto would do. No, what Sasuke could do was fix his eyes on her face, see the perfection of her water-shiny features for the umpteenth time, and kiss her. Yeah, maybe that would do since he had just told her to shut up…

But as he abruptly leaned down to her face, Sasuke realized that this definitely wasn't his day.

Sakura gasped –not at all because of her companion's sudden initiative- when rustling was heard among the nearby bushes of the closest shore, the one opposite the way to the desert from which they had arrived. Two kunais flying were the next thing to come and Sakura turned away from Sasuke at the sound. As soon as the small blades got stuck in the earth, a silhouette emerged from the bushes, that of a young woman whose fiery red hair caught the eye at first sight.

Sasuke's eyes widened in astonishment, shock, disbelief, for this asymmetrical hairstyle and equally red bespectacled gaze could only belong to one person: _'Karin.'_

She tripped on a rock with a cry of pain, still clutching onto whatever she was holding in her arms while struggling to get back up as fast as possible, and for good reason: a squad of five grass shinobis appeared from the trees and bushes, though the crossed out symbol of their hitai-ates clearly indicated of what breed they were. They were surrounding her in no time. Still on all fours on the ground and having lost her glasses in her fall, Karin looked up and searched through her blurry surroundings for a head of raven black hair, the one whose chakra she had followed desperately, hoping, if she was still allowed to, that her old 'comrade' would come to her aid.

The rogue ninjas however, for the simple mistake of having glanced over at the two in the water before finishing off their target, had to suffer much worse than the sharp end of Sasuke Uchiha's blade: Sakura Haruno's wrath after she had been spotted half naked bathing in a stream with her lover.

"SHAAANNAROO!" Was the last thing these men heard before getting beaten down, unable to catch even a glimpse of their attacker as she knocked them through several trees, three at a time with a single punch. Some high kicks sent the other two in tow.

Hot steam seemed to vaporize from Sakura's burning face as she stood, panting and with her fists tightly balled on the shore a few meters by Karin. An internally flabbergasted, but poker-faced Sasuke made his way to them, his narrow, coal eyes glued to the former female member of Team Taka. Cradling the package in her arms, the scarlet haired girl stood back up clumsily and flashed him that smile of hers filled with pious faith and joy, as though he were her holy savior.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Karin enters! Told you this chapter would be longer. :)_

 _I hope you guys liked this chapter. It has three rather different scenes with time-skips and I'd be overjoyed to have feedback!_

 _Next chapter will be 'part 7'..._


	31. Part 7 - Chapter 30

_**FLY AWAY- Part 7 : Daymare**_

 _ **Chapter 30**_

The situation had been handled as anyone would expect from shinobis: quietly, unnoticeably, neatly. The unconscious rogue ninjas had been tied up to the trees where they had landed about twenty meters away –not much for Sakura's standards, thankfully- while Sasuke had summoned a hawk to call for the nearest shinobi village to retrieve the fugitives.

Karin woke up a few hours later that evening before the heat of a campfire. It felt excessively hot…How could a stupid fire be so hot? She sat up slowly, finding the blanket on top of her to be a part of the answer, the other being the natural warmth of the muggy atmosphere. Rubbing the back of her aching neck with her hand, Karin inspected herself as a safety measure but found nothing out of place: she still had her high heeled shoes on; her black stockings weren't the slightest bit wrinkled; her shorts looked fine, not even ripped; the purple sleeveless vest that she thought looked so good on her because of the way it hugged her curves and could be zipped only around her waist and up until its plunging V neckline was just right in place; her long-sleeved white shirt too; even the two black pins forming a cross behind her ear to hold the locks on the left side of her face were still there, untouched. Coming to the conclusion that she was completely unscathed, Karin moved on to another topic and eyed her blanket. She couldn't help hoping that maybe it was Sasuke's. Her scarlet eyes brightened at the thought as she inhaled –as discreetly as possible just in case- the smell of the cloth. A sweet, flowery aroma…with a tinge of strawberry… _'Wait, what!?'_

The red haired girl pushed the fabric away from her face to finally have a look around, in time to see Sasuke –her knight in shining armor- slumping into a sitting position behind the campfire in front of her. "Sasuke!" She squealed in delight, leaning his way. Then she remembered that she had been asleep a moment before, wondered about the precise reason why for a few seconds, and finally put the pieces together. So she frowned, adopting a more uptight position and angrier tone "Hey! Why did you knock me unconscious, you numbskull!?"

Silence met her inquiry. He wasn't even looking at her but rather at the flames before him. Karin repeated her question stubbornly, receiving no more in response than at her first attempt. The fire kept crackling between them and she was reminded of the terrible heat once again…surely she could exploit this to attract her prince charming's attention. Karin pouted cutely, waving a hand in front of her face for some air "It's sooo hot around here!~" she complained, half moaning as she undid the first few buttons of her shirt and exposed her neckline.

Sasuke's gaze was still directed at the flames. Just like them, Karin was internally seething. Cursing his name, she settled for sulking, or at least until she felt an unbelievably strong chakra approaching them steadily. The Uzumaki girl perked up and stared at the bushes behind Sasuke in the direction of the chakra, her red eyes wide and alert. The first syllable of her former leader's name left her lips in warning as the imposing chakra came closer and closer, only mere meters away. And then…

"Sasuke-kun, is she…Oh, you're awake!" Karin laid eyes on a petite pink haired young woman with vivid green eyes, a kind smile and a bunch of berries in her arms. What Karin also unmistakably noticed was Sasuke's gaze immediately directed to the newcomer. Her surprise had been first due to such a powerful chakra coming from this girl but now she wondered… _'Why is he looking at her?'_

Sakura deposited the berries next to Sasuke, whispering to him something about tomorrow's breakfast, and walked to sit by the confused Karin. "How's your ankle?" She asked politely.

That's when it ticked in Karin's head. She should have realized it sooner when she had seen this peculiar pink hair, but she had already met this girl, years ago back at the Samurai Bridge. She was a medic-nin, the one who had healed her after an insane Sasuke had been ready to dispose of her, the one who had cried such heartfelt tears of grief upon seemingly losing the one she loved. Suddenly, Karin felt uneasy in her presence. This girl whom she had pitied and _almost_ related to back then was now… a rival.

The Uzumaki narrowed her eyes and gave a short nod to signify she was fine. The smile on the medic's face seemed indelible however "My name is Sakura Haruno. We already met before the war" she happily introduced herself, then turned more serious "I'm sorry to ask you now after what happened today but…"

"Why were you being chased by a squad of rogue-nins?" Sasuke's deep voice interrupted his teammate, immediately catching Karin's attention.

She frowned, grumbling "So now you're talking to me, huh? Like hell I'm gonna tell you…"

"Think again" Sasuke replied coldly "You're in the middle of nowhere and, knowing me, miles away from the nearest hideout."

Karin's eyebrow twitched "So?" she asked, keeping her obstinate facade.

"You don't want to stay alone when ninjas are after you" The Uchiha finished. Putting her in this position after knocking her unconscious gave him the upper hand in the cross interrogation, since, considering Karin's fighting abilities, she wouldn't be able to go far if they left her.

"But" Sakura suddenly spoke "we took care of the five Grass rogues at the stream!"

"There are probably more after her" Sasuke answered, his voice blank as usual. "If my theories are founded…" he stopped mid-sentence when his eyes briefly found Karin opposite him, her mouth agape in a big smile and practically drooling on the floor.

It was too good for her: the Sasuke Uchiha was actually worried about her! The red head flew far past seventh heaven…until she was forced back down by the kunoichi at her side calling her name repeatedly before at last catching her attention "Anyways Karin, you should tell us what happened."

Blinking off the stars in her eyes, the red eyed young woman cleared her throat "Yeah, yeah alright" she mumbled, then finally started "I don't really know why but Orochimaru-sama sent me to get this scroll with some guy who got killed before I found you. Maybe I was chosen because it was a big base with lots of guards to infiltrate …Hey, wait! Where's the scroll!?" She frantically began searching her pockets and under her blanket, but there was no trace of the item.

"Here" Sakura handed her the said white and green scroll that she had retrieved from her item pouch. The dark glare burning holes into her skull at this instant couldn't be ignored and so she defended herself "I checked like you asked, Sasuke-kun and I'm surprised Orochimaru would want that. It's some ancestral medical ninjutsu from the Grass that Tsunade-sama studied at some point, but it's very old and medical ninjas have long since bettered that technique."

"Hn…" Sasuke seemed deep in thought for a second before turning to his former companion again "Did you know about the content of that scroll?"

Karin shook her head and replied huffily "You should know, Orochimaru-sama used to send you on tons of these missions."

The raven haired young man didn't answer, so instead Sakura filled the silence "Then I guess these guys were the ones guarding the scroll, but since they were rogues…Did they steal it beforehand?"

Karin crossed her arms over her chest "Who cares?"

"Hmm, yeah…" Sakura scratched the arm she was leaning on uncomfortably. The only time she had been around Karin was at the Samurai Bridge two years ago, so naturally under such circumstances, she never really got to know her. From what little Sasuke had told her, the members of the old Team Taka had all been atypical people. Upon meeting Suigetsu, Sakura had thought her teammate had been exaggerating, but now seeing Karin's mood swings…No! She shouldn't judge people so fast! The pink haired medic mustered a small smile "So err…maybe we could accompany you to the next town and…"

"Sakura" Sasuke interrupted darkly, glaring at his teammate for the second time in one day –something that had become quite rare for him.

"What?" She asked, indignant "Isn't she you comrade? You ought to help her at least a little after what she's been through!"

Karin couldn't agree more with that 'pinky' girl then, but she also couldn't help thinking that Sasuke wouldn't let himself be bossed around so easily. Oh how great it would be to walk by his side again, to admire his every move, to be 'accepted' by him… But really, even she knew this would be too much to ask for. Any minute now he was going to contest his teammate's idea and suggest they leave her on the side of the road or near a five inhabitant village so he could finally get rid of her. She would appear like she didn't mind and satisfy herself by looking at his sleeping visage all night instead and…

Wait. Then why was the crackling of the fire the only sound to be heard?

Sasuke was silent, still staring at the burning flames to Karin's sheer surprise.

The young Uchiha had his reasons to act so, for many attractive possibilities were presently offered to him on a silver platter. As a missing-nin and one of Orochimaru's most valuable agents, Sasuke's duty would be to kill Karin, but this would be too much of a shame considering all the fresh information about Orochimaru he could get from her –willingly or not. Better yet, he could use her to track down Orochimaru and end him once and for all; a threat to the world and the Uchiha clan finally annihilated for good. Yes…this was the best option, but then…He lifted his eyes back up to the annoyed pink haired girl beside him, her skin and eyes set ablaze by the fire before them; and just as soon as the plan had formed in his mind, it vanished. Sasuke had more important things to do for now, things to _protect_ instead of destroy.

After what seemed an eternity, he gave out the smallest of nods. The red-head had to do a double take and check whether her glasses were still before her eyes in case she had seen wrong; but she realized Sasuke's acceptance of his teammate's suggestion was definitely real as Sakura spoke again "Great! You can keep my blanket and sleeping mat for tonight, I'll manage with…"

Immediately, Karin jumped on the occasion "Don't bother!" She squealed "I'm sure Sasuke will…"

"No chance in hell."

Despite this cold reply, Karin had seemingly teleported over to his side in a flash and was already clinging onto his arm "Come on Sasuke~ I'll keep you warm if you want!" She nibbled her bottom lip and winked for the sexiest effect as the final touch to her seduction act. In all the years she had obsessed over Sasuke and craved for physical contact from him, he had never rejected her physically but with icy words only –probably because he had been too lazy or thought himself to be above that, or perhaps he knew it would only fire up her ardor- so Karin was rather surprised to say the least, to have him push her away from his shoulder. Little did the Uzumaki know that a pink haired medic was silently looking on, as impassive as a rock, so that Sasuke had to wonder whether she was about to hit him, Karin, or if she would be upset if he didn't reject his former comrade's advances more explicitly.

Karin landed on her butt on the ground, an expression of confusion painted all over her features instead of irritation or hurt. "You might as well sleep on the ground if you don't want Sakura's blanket" Sasuke said blankly

"But Sasuke…" A glare silenced her. Karin pouted again and sloppily made her way back to the other side of the fire to lay on Sakura's abandoned sleeping mat.

Now the medic was pretty confused. She tried to sum up the situation in simple sentences: Karin was the worst fangirl of Sasuke's she had ever seen; Sasuke acted in a terribly rude way with his former companion, but probably didn't hate her; Sakura herself had insisted that Karin should stay with them for the two days trip it would take to get out of this swamp and to the nearest town; she was forced to sleep on the ground now that Karin had taken her supplies and had been rejected by Sasuke (how improper it would be to ask him to share with her after this!) Whether these two days would end badly or _very_ badly would be for luck to decide.

~O~

Observing Sasuke sleep the following morning left a sour taste and prickling of the eyes to Karin as it turned out to be more of a torture than a pleasure. Rolling away at once to rip her eyes from this horrendous view had been her only solution –'solution' maybe, but sadly not an eraser, for the damage had already been done and her mind was starting to fire dreadful theories at her. How could this be? How could this happen!?

A few looks were one thing, changing his mind because of this girl was another and Karin had hurried to push such observations away from her Sasuke-restricted mind. The previous night however, she was sure the two Leaf-shinobis had not been sharing a blanket, nor facing each other in their sleep. To her own dismay, Karin had already registered the fact that 'Pinky' hadn't moved an inch from then, but Sasuke…No, she refused to accept it! That Sakura girl must have asked him to come over and- no, even then, it wouldn't explain why he had accepted! When the red head decided to stop thinking as her last resort to get rid of her terrible conjectures, she found herself focusing on the distance separating Sasuke from Pinky; a reasonable one by any standards, just enough for them to both be shielded from mosquitoes and night air. This calmed her in the slightest, or at least she tried to believe so.

Karin found no other way out than to bite back her anger and pretend to be asleep until breakfast despite the ruthless mind turmoil taking place in the depths of her being. Definitely, she couldn't find it in herself to be nice to that girl even when she was doing everything she could to sympathize with a cankerous fellow, offering her the berries she had found the day before and trying to chat a little. Both attempts were refused equally as curtly and Sakura had to eat most of the fruits by herself with silence for company. She didn't mind the first part: these were a kind of berries she had never seen in the Fire Country and had only heard of from books where the pictures of the reddish pink fruits had made her mouth water in her study -not that books did them justice as delicious and juicy as they turned out to be. Sasuke took one or two, probably to be polite, but soon reminded his teammate of his dislike of sweet foods. She nodded in understanding as he found a piece of bread instead, which he tore into two before tossing a piece at an elated Karin.

These berries were addicting, truly, and Sakura kept a good handful of them at hand while the new party of three walked through the swamps, over brooks, mud, past all kinds of bushy, wet foliage and creepers. Perhaps the heavy air –both in literal and figurative senses, considering how hard it became for the green eyed kunoichi to try conversing with her companions when she received but one word replies and scowls- or the mugginess of the place made her crave for the fresh, sweet fruits. The pity was their size, way too tiny squashed between her teeth for her hunger to be satisfied; so by all means she tried to have at least one berry in her mouth at all times during the whole day. When night fell and they had reached the northern part of the humid River Country, no more berries were to be found in Sakura's bag and pockets.

It seemed it hadn't cut her hunger as she eagerly stuffed her onigiris in her mouth under Sasuke's bemused eyes. Even as far as their genin days he couldn't recall a time when he had seen his teammate in such state. And so, while a seething Karin munched harder on her food to try to forget the supposedly discreet sidelong stare he cast at Sakura, he began to wonder. Was this normal or did something happen for her to start eating more? Sasuke remembered Sakura always scolding Naruto whenever he stuffed his mouth with food… _'Strange'_ he concluded inwardly.

That night as he shuffled closer to Sakura to cover her like the previous one, his eyes lingered on her face, illuminated by the dying firelight. He barely realized after a few minutes how useless this action was as he already knew her features by heart and had them burnt into his mind. Nonetheless, he observed; and his mind, foggy with sleep, let silly thoughts, musings and memories tangle and untangle. What would her face look like surrounded by flying flower petals? Ethereal blue and clear if underwater maybe? He had already seen her before the red light of sunset and in the morning after a long night… What would it be like if she grew her hair out again? He secretly liked running his fingers through her thin locks, short or long alike…Would her hair look nice in another color? _'No'_ he thought bluntly at first, but then the memory of their departure from Suiden came back to him. He imagined her gentle, adorable, round features with raven black hair, like his.

That's when he blinked, wide eyed into the darkness of night after the campfire was long dead.

That morning was the worst yet. Sasuke woke feeling a rush of outside air sneaking under his blanket and sat up rapidly enough at the sounds of footsteps storming behind the bushes. He first silently questioned why Sakura had run off, though the sound of someone throwing up answered him soon enough. Puzzled by this situation, Sasuke had barely the time to wonder whether he should go to her aid at the risk of embarrassing her greatly (would a proud medic-nin like her want to be seen in such state?) before Sakura returned, shaky and almost as pale as that idiot Sai if not for the faint green tinge on her normally rosy-peach cheeks. Karin swallowed the joke she was about to make -for Sasuke's glare was not to be taken lightly- as the Uchiha started up to assist his teammate in standing, which she refused only to sit down immediately after. The raven haired ninja enforced that they should not move until Sakura was well again, that being his sacrifice of a day spent suffering Karin's obnoxious flirting. With much effort, the medic convinced him that she was fine by midday -not that he let her travel very far anyway, since he proclaimed the end of their walk by five thirty, hours before sunset. This didn't rid Sasuke of his thoughts; how could it have with such glaring evidence? These thoughts he had foolishly discarded to the deepest layers of his mind seemed to be glowering at him now, their uproar not to be calmed until a definite confrontation. Before then, he tried to push back the long locks of raven hair falling into his eyes as much as possible to keep this reminder out of sight.

The occasion presented itself shortly after they stopped to set camp, an event of sheer luck for Sasuke who had had much trouble keeping his mind free of interrogations even for mere hours. As Sakura left the camp once again, the Uchiha stood up in turn as soon as she had disappeared among the bushes. Careful to remind Karin of her current predicament and the possible consequences of her running away, Sasuke was free to depart when it seemed his warning got through to her. He found Sakura not too far away, seated with her hand on her stomach onto a large rock next to a willow tree and at the feet of several brooks as thin as toothpicks flowing by each other like one larger stream.

Sakura looked up at the young man, apparently surprised to see him there "I wasn't sure if I was going to be sick again but I think I'm fine after all" she gave him a small, genuine smile, touched to find him worried about her.

Sasuke nodded in understanding but said nothing despite the ominous question weighting over his mind. The resolve he had when striding through the humid forest seemed to ebb away instantly after he found his teammate's calm viridian eyes. At each try he made to conjure up the courage to speak, a simple glance at her and an alarming thought passing by his mind were enough to wipe it away, just like the tide. Sakura asked about Karin; he merely replied that he had left her at camp (where she surely wouldn't move before beholding the sight of him at least once more), and silence fell again. This didn't seem to bother the pink haired girl in the least; either she had no idea about the strife taking place in his mind, or she was willing to wait and see him struggle a little more with his words.

The Uchiha was eager to conclude to the former supposition as she stood from her rock and made her way to walk past him "We should go back," she said "we have a long day ahead of us tomo-"

Sasuke grabbed her wrist before she could fully pass by him, effectively interrupting her and directing her rounded eyes at him. Clearly taken aback, Sakura stopped in her tracks to face him directly "Is something wrong?" She asked without the slightest clue.

Still unsure of how exactly to phrase his doubts, Sasuke nonetheless decided to dive in, willing to wade about ridiculously in his thoughts no more. His gaze, however, still refused to meet hers in fear of showing his growing nervousness "You've been sick in the morning…" he began, low, deep, as emotionless as he could muster considering the topic he was about to bring up.

Sakura arched an eyebrow, not sure what he was getting at "Yes?"

"…and eating a lot" the young man carried on, forcing his mouth into a tight line and his eyebrow's frown to ease a little, without much success.

Sakura's cheeks reddened "Th-that's because those berries were delicious! And I had been wanting to taste them and…!" She left her next argument unsaid, finding the two previous ones already much too childish and blushing tenfold.

A frustrated sigh came in response and Sakura called his name quietly in question. Noticing the anxious grip Sasuke still had on her wrist, she glanced up at him and discovered his flustered expression _'Wait, 'flustered'? And is that a blush on his cheeks!?'_ she thought, disbelieving. "Sasuke-kun, tell me what's wrong!" She was now insisting, her sudden worry and incomprehension of the situation driving her to hold tighter onto his hand with both of hers as soon as she shook her imprisoned one free. His eyes were averted, but not hers as she stared head on at his profile, determined to get answers from her teammate no matter how tense he may be. His head was gradually turning to her at last, his eyes slowly finding green ones and…

"Are you… pregnant?"

Sakura blinked a few times, her mouth a perfect 'o' in shape. She would have laughed heartily had his voice not been so nervous behind the pretend-blankness and cool façade. She grinned instead and mumbled something about his observation skills and knowledge under her breath.

"Are you?" Sasuke asked again, this time dead-serious and unwavering, staring deeply into her eyes. Looking up, Sakura found herself blushing hard, speechless and seemingly pinned to her spot by his dark, obsidian orbs as a thousand doubts washed over her at once. She was in no position to laugh anymore.

Her silence was driving him insane. The medic was watching the grass at her feet now and he couldn't help the fast beating of his heart anymore as she let out a quiet "I'm sorry."

It was Sasuke's turn to blink, utterly confused by her answer and what to make of it. This was neither a positive nor a negative response. Furthermore, why was she apologizing?

She found his eyes again with shiny ones, as though begging for his forgiveness "I'm not pregnant because I can't be!"

Sasuke's eyes grew wider than they had ever been; the air was knocked out of his lungs as if he had received a sucker punch to the gut; he found the previously rapid thumping of his heart in his ears ceasing completely, before words spilled from her mouth like a waterfall "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you! Since I remember you said you wanted to rebuild your clan all those years ago I figured you would not like it and at the time I thought I needn't say anything about it or maybe I was just too stupid and nervous to tell you about something private like that but…" She paused for a second to catch her breath before continuing in the same rapid tone "…I've been on the pill ever since we left Konoha because I didn't want to be bothered by my period while we traveled and I thought my mood swings were already bad enough as they were for you, besides I had no idea we would become so close over time and go _that_ _far_ so I'm sorry if I mindlessly ruined your plans for the future because of my selfish ideas and…!"

Sasuke's arms pulling her against him cut out the rest of her rambling. He embraced the gasping, flushed kunoichi tightly to reassure the both of them and let his head rest next to her own, cheek tickled by soft hair. He sighed in deep relief.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura murmured after a few seconds of staying paralyzed in his arms.

"Hm?" He grunted back softly.

Her voice sounded small, tentative "You're not mad?"

Mad? He was way too glad after the scare she had just given him to be mad. The kiss he planted on top of her head hopefully conveyed this thought well enough. Silence lingered for a bit, but knowing Sakura and the confusion she was in, it was too much to ask for it to last.

"…How did you get that idea?"

Impulsively affectionate, Sasuke rested his chin on her head and brought a hand up to caress her silky tresses. His reply left his mouth equally as absent-mindedly "When I saw you with Haruko's brother in Suiden."

"Really? That alone made you think that I…?"

His loose-tongue became too busy with hers to add more details about his dreams of a black haired child gifted with her features.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Yeah...we wonder who that child could be, right? ;)_

 _I didn't think so many people would misunderstand. Since it's not clear I'll put here: Sakura CAN have babies. She can't right now because she is ON THE PILL. Reread carefully if you want, it's written in her rant._

 _Anyways...Thank you guys again for your amazing reviews! It makes my day to read your thoughts!_ _Some of you were a bit worried that Karin would be annoying or...other stuff (that's for you, crazymel!)...but I hope she was 'bearable'! I kinda like her after all, especially since Gaiden (ironically)..._

 _I hope you liked it and feel free to comment until the next update! ^^_


	32. Part 7 - Chapter 31

_**FLY AWAY- Part 7 : Daymare**_

 _ **Chapter 31**_

The two Leaf ninjas came back to their camp on the riverside by sunset, admiring with widening eyes the glistening, red, sun-kissed water but also the absence of their sunset-haired comrade. It took an instant to register that Karin was gone, another to find the still wet tracks she had left on the next shore when crossing the water which hinted that she was not long departed. Even after threatening to leave her alone in unknown grounds, letting her go was out of the question for Sasuke was well aware of the Uzumaki girl's loyalty to Orochimaru –or at least, that's what he would have liked as a reason to go scouting for Karin, but knowing that they would set her free as soon as they reached the nearest town, it was all but valid. No, Sakura's obstinacy to help his former companion –and he had no clue where it came from- all but forced him to split up with her and start looking. The medic had barely managed to conceal her surprise in time when he didn't argue further, since she knew she would have never managed to convince him had he not wanted to find Karin in the slightest -after watching the two interact for the past two days, she had secretly been hoping that Sasuke didn't truly hate the red-head.

And so while the Uchiha headed north-east from the stream, Sakura followed the sinking sun and its light between the tree leaves. Karin couldn't have gone far; despite her being a kunoichi, she was hardly fast enough to outrun either of the two members of team seven. However her particular ability was an advantage that clearly outweighed this aspect as Karin would be able to tell if someone was coming her way soon enough to hide. Whether she would rely on this asset or not depended on one thing: her reason for running off. If her intent had really been to escape, she would without doubt make use of her chakra sensing talent; on the other hand if it was not and she had been led by other circumstances to slip away, maybe it would make it easier for her pursuers to find her.

Yet, no red-head was to be found as light was gradually dimming after half an hour of searching and Sakura began dwelling on her analysis of the situation. What could have made Karin leave them out of the blue as such? Was she attacked? Kidnapped? Hopefully not killed since there had been no blood around the camp…But in this case another party must have been involved. The rogue grass ninjas of the other day, or perhaps Orochimaru's underlings themselves? Sakura shook her head. Assumptions like these would lead her nowhere until she could pick up Karin's track.

The medic-nin pushed bushy foliage aside as she adopted a more thorough way of looking on the ground instead of jumping from branch to branch. She cut herself a path between the thick trees of the humid forest, jumped over brooks, sneaked past large roots, and traveled downhill, following the water. She had promised Sasuke to go back to the camp after an hour with or without Karin. Forty minutes were already up and the Uzumaki was obviously by no means making this easy for the pink haired kunoichi, but this was far from enough to hinder her determination. She would find Karin and bring her back, definitely. Because…

Sakura pushed another set of large fern leaves out of her way and barely halted in time to avoid falling off the small cliff before her. Catching her balance, her eyes wandered downwards until she caught a certain sight; that of a red haired young woman a few meters down there, sat on a flat, large rock in front of another brook –the very one that Sakura had been following for a while and which now fell into a small waterfall beside her. The Leaf kunoichi let out a quiet sigh in relief, unashamed to reveal her presence considering that Karin had most probably known of it for several minutes; but she was still immobile, hugging her knees without any intention to stir or look back at the intruder. This lack of hostility encouraged Sakura to jump down to her side, though once there, she found nothing more than silence as a reward for the efforts she had put into finding the red-head. In response, she too decided that she would not speak –for she was used to this kind of situation with a traveling companion like Sasuke after all- and simply sat down next to her. Although at first deeming it improper, Sakura soon lifted up her gaze to find tears, freshly wiped from Karin's cheeks but clearly visible still at the corners of her averted eyes.

The first word spoken between the two ended up being the latter's name "Karin…?" Sakura let out quietly, unsure how to voice her concern.

After a few more moments of the sound of the lapping water filling the silence, the Uzumaki roughly wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, pushing her glasses off her nose a little. "What is it you want?" She spat, adjusting her spectacles and turning to the pink haired girl.

Sakura blinked and recoiled in surprise "We've been looking for you" she replied, her serious tone back.

Karin scoffed "Just go away and see if I care."

The medic-nin frowned at this. Yet another moment passed before she chose to speak again "Karin, you've been crying…"

"Oh no, that I won't let you!" She suddenly exclaimed, pushing her hand onto the rock below her to lean a bit towards her interlocutor, disgust and ire apparent in her voice "Don't you dare pity me! I was the one pitying you back then, so I won't let you now!"

"I don't pity you."

"Don't pretend either!" She screeched even louder with her raspy voice, as though strangled by tears that she would not let flow; her best attempts seemed vain however, with the water gathering in her shiny, ruby eyes. "I saw you crying over that bastard as well so don't you dare think you're superior to me, because you're not! You hear!" With that, she turned her head away from Sakura and wiped off the tears slipping anew.

The medic's mouth hung open slightly as she gradually understood the situation a little more. "Karin…" she half-said, half whispered, hoping not to rouse more cries "…Is it Sasuke-kun? Did he…Did we do anything…?"

She yelled at Sakura's face "You're _sleeping_ with him!"

The proximity didn't last long, but enough for the stunned Sakura to catch everything in Karin's expression; the tense jaw and clenched teeth that struggled to bite back her tears, the crimson of her blazing cheeks in both anger and embarrassment knowing her image and composure were just about shattered, the deep frown over her red eyes. In those eyes swam her feelings of rage, betrayal, hurt and sorrow, mingling together into something very familiar to Sakura: heartbreak.

Karin looked away again while Sakura found nothing to say. Long, long, heavy minutes passed with the medic staring at the water before her in thoughts and the red-head concealing her sobs with growls and wrinkling the fabric of her shorts tensely. To think that she would cry in front of her rival, how much lower could she fall!? A 'rival'…Could she even call Sakura that anymore after what she had witnessed between her and Sasuke earlier?

"You know…" Sakura broke the silence suddenly, earning a brief glance from Karin "…I think we resemble each other –don't start shouting, please" she cut into her sentence, seeing the Uzumaki straightening up with a new blaze in her eyes, ready for another outburst. "Let me explain myself" Sakura's voice was calm, soothing enough, she hoped, for Karin to listen to her. The red head grunted, allowing Sakura to continue "Well, we've both been through a lot because of Sasuke-kun and yet we still love him after so long…"

"How would you know if I've loved him for 'so long'?" Karin asked snidely.

"I can tell…" Sharp scarlet eyes narrowed at the medic and she frowned, trying to clarify "It's really difficult to explain but…I think I can understand. That's why I want to tell you…" Sakura's anxious gaze turned stern "Don't back down."

Karin just stared on in stern disbelief _'She's gotta be kidding me'_ she thought, doubtful.

"I-I mean…!" _'Oh how hard is it gonna be to make myself understood!'_ Sakura was growing familiar with Sasuke's usual struggle with words, nonetheless, she wasn't about to back down herself "I know this sounds like a stupid advice coming from me since I'm…" _'the one who sleeps with Sasuke-kun.'_ Sakura thought it wise not to finish her sentence, instead, she forced her voice to sound resolute and steady "But trust me, I understand how your feelings won't change if you're truly in love. It's because…I feel close to you in a way –arg! No, don't take that badly, please! I meant…"

"I don't need you to tell me."

This interruption came as a muffled grumble against Karin's knees since her head was nested there. While Sakura had been fretting and battling against her inner mind-fuss a moment before, she heard it loud and clear. Her surprise though, was unaltered despite this tone. It was all more or less clear now -in Karin's head at least- and since the pink haired kunoichi pretended to be 'so close' to her, the spectacled girl dared hope she would not have to bother clarifying. It was sad, and unfair, and unexplainable. But this was how it worked; love. As much as she would relish in the sight of the Uchiha beaten to the ground for the terrible ordeal he was currently –unknowingly- putting her through, she also couldn't imagine herself not wanting to heal him afterwards and watching him bite down in her flesh in adoration. Yes, she still loved him; yes, she was deeply aggravated by the cheesiness he had displayed with Pinkie earlier when she had never received such attention herself; yes, she hated him right now, but she was assured by his so rare and sweet gestures that he was as much in love with that girl as Karin was with him. The red-head had her pride and her heart its ways, she knew that and pretty much how to deal with them from years of experience; it didn't mean that she would let go of her feelings so easily.

"I'm glad" came Sakura's reply after a minute of silence. She understood now that her previous advice had been Karin's thoughts all along. This proved her right: they were alike. It was true that, despite not liking it, Sakura sometimes entertained the thought of her younger self being similar to Karin in her obsessive ways; both were short-tempered, had a tendency to hit the sources of their annoyance (Suigetsu and Naruto respectively), could prove serious and analytical when needed to be…But more than that, it was a certain way of thinking that they shared -about Sasuke or merely practical thinking- maybe because their life experiences seemed to mirror each other a lot. Being forced to grow up fast and mature at an early age because of a loss, fighting to protect a loved one, missing that loved one…No, actually, Karin had probably had to endure much more from an early age than Sakura who had been raised by loving parents in a peaceful village.

"Tch" Karin suddenly interjected, cutting in Sakura's inner musing. The red haired girl let go of her knees and reclined a little to lean back on her hands behind her back. She brushed a hand through her hair lazily as she did so and as soon as she laid reproachful eyes on the medic, her tone was back to normal "I wonder what you did to him, though. Seriously, turning Sasuke into a marshmallow like that? How could you!?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow in confusion "A-a marshmallow?"

"Oh m an…" She sighed before rambling on "You know, he's always been the 'tall, dark and handsome' kind of guy! Not the sweet boyfriend who cuddles with you!"

A raspberry pink blush on Sakura's cheeks put her hair to shame "He isn't like that! Really, I have to strive to…!"

"Please, don't give me that! The bastard went to cover you at night with his blanket!"

"He did?"

"See? You're surprised too! The real Sasuke is cold, detached, taciturn and super damn cool, not that cuddly teddy-bear you changed him into!" As she said this, Karin shifted to stand up, a hand on her hip and the other pointing an accusing finger down at the medic-nin.

Sakura followed her companion's movement, standing as well and turning towards the way she had come. "Out of all the things to compare him with, I wouldn't have chosen that." Karin followed her in cue up the small cliff, careful not to slip on the wet rocks nearby the mini-cascade.

"Why?" Karin asked, pushing away a large fern's leaves. "Because you're ashamed of what became of him under your harmful influence?"

Sakura jumped over a fallen tree trunk and looked over her shoulder to glance at the red-head behind her "No, not really" her embarrassment gradually faded as she pondered on the question "Well, don't get me wrong, he can be _sweet_ , but he mostly acts on impulse…though I wouldn't say it comes naturally to him like the rest."

"The rest?"

"You know, ninja skills, being super damn cool…" Sakura rolled her eyes mockingly.

"Oh yeah" Karin waved her hand before her face as if to add 'of course', a dreamy look in her eyes before shaking her head and regaining her seriousness "Still then, what would you call him?"

The pink haired girl placed a finger on her lips to ponder "I…I don't know…"

"Then 'teddy-bear' it is."

"Wait, what?" Sakura stifled her giggles.

And so it went until thirty minutes later –and a quarter of an hour late for the appointment fixed with Sasuke - they arrived to their camp to find an irritated young man pacing before the fire. His annoyance was a thing to be reckoned with after he had been reduced to a worried bundle of nerves for the past fifteen minutes, wondering if he should go after Sakura (with or without Susano'o?) or simply trust her and wait; but to find her back walking idly and laughing along with the red haired kunoichi they had been looking for added genuine surprise to his mess of thoughts and feelings. Just then he saw Karin punching Sakura's shoulder playfully as they crossed the water to join him and a skeptical, puzzled arch of his eyebrows ruined the ominous glare he had been wearing until then.

Regardless, he would give his teammate an earful –scratch that, _both_ of these girls needed a good scolding, or in a more Uchiha fashion, a cold shoulder. Hardly did he have the chance though, as Sakura slipped an apology at him for her lateness, Karin a spiteful greeting –for what, he didn't care to know- before both sat on the former's sleeping mat and started chatting under their breath. However hard he strained to hear the source of their giggling and playful slaps on the arm, nothing but more confusion rewarded him for the whole night. Not to mention that the girls decided to share their blanket that night, leaving him alone and grumpy on the opposite side of the dead fire.

~O~

Talking with Sakura felt like centuries ago; it had been two hours. Only two because Karin had jumped from branch to branch to get there faster, half because of apprehension, the other half she wasn't sure of. She wondered what would follow now as she walked steadily, but not hastily, through dark corridors. It was like this here and in every hideout: dark, creepy, with who knows what kind of experiment behind each door. Here, in the eastern River near the border of the Fire, the facilities were situated underground under an abandoned, old temple. When entering, you had to cut yourself a path because of the fern and plant life growing everywhere on the walls and ceilings, but as you progressed further down, this no longer became a problem with the lack of sufficient light. On her way to the core of the hideout, Karin had passed many large halls decorated with fiddly carved details on the walls and columns, so that she was led to believe that this place had not always been a serpent's den and maybe a purer, sacred place instead very long ago.

Despite her determined stride, it took longer than Karin would have deemed safe –in accordance to her master's demands concerning punctuality- for her to get to the central room where he awaited. She had only been here once before when Orochimaru had called her from the northern hideout about a week ago, though she had no hopes that the sannin would find this excuse satisfactory.

Karin pushed open the oak door in front of her. A sudden rush of heat overcame her once inside; and the next second she observed the fires lit in fairly large bowls incrusted in the pitch black, rough slate floor itself, placed all around the room and following its circular shape to only leave one space open for entrance through the sole door. Apart from that the architecture was bare -not a carving, a column to hold the ceiling which was, contrary to the other rooms, very high- only safe for a couple of stair steps at the back of the room, a chair whose back faced the newcomer and a long table where various scrolls were laid.

Karin knelt down in front of the steps. Everything was silent until the chair creaked with the shifting of its occupant. The man stood and turned slowly, his ink black hair hiding his contrastingly wan, white visage. The thin strands slid like a long curtain as he slowly straightened to face his underling; likewise, cold words of greeting spilt from his snake's tongue "You are back at last, Karin."

The Uzumaki remained silent for a second, giving the slightest nod in acknowledgement before fishing out her master's requested item from her pouch and handing it to him "Here's the scroll you wanted, Orochimaru-sama."

The sannin extended his long-nailed white hand to retrieve said scroll, asking at the same time "Was the time you spent away of quality?"

She should have known better than to expect an inquiry about her deceased escort- yet she gave no reply to the question that she found, to say the very least, quite surprising coming from him. Orochimaru wandered closer to the stair steps without walking back to his study, the scroll still closed in his hand. As he let silence linger between them for a few more minutes, Karin decided it safe to look up once he clarified "I understood that you went a little out of track, didn't you?" Orochimaru hissed calmly, icily.

"I retrieved the scroll like you asked, Orochimaru-sama" she answered, asserting her loyalty.

"Yes…" The snake sannin fixed his slit-pupils on the girl who instantly froze stiff "But I believe you would not have risked delivering the scroll late had you not had a valid reason, or should I say an _unexpected encounter_."

Karin's eyes widened in amazement. Orochimaru knows everything, that too she should have remembered. He gave a lazy motion of his free hand to signal her to stand back up, so she did, still tense and serious in tone "Orochimaru-sama, if you know about it, why would you ask me?"

A sophisticated, funny smile quirked up the corners of his mouth as his yellow eyes narrowed, more from amusement than impatience "Why, because there is only so much I would know from weekly sightings and testimonies, whereas you met Sasuke-kun in person."

Karin forced herself not to gulp "There aren't many more details I'll be able to tell you" she said, still blank.

Behind his long locks of hair, Orochimaru lifted a brow slowly, which didn't seem to wrinkle his ever so young, white skin. His smile turned upside down and sulphur eyes became demanding "I am certain there are. Please, begin."

She couldn't. Not when she had somehow managed to befriend this annoying Pinky and gain back Sasuke's acceptance. Besides, what was there to say? What would Orochimaru want to know? Karin had barely spent three days with them! However, she knew perfectly well that the more silence lasted, the more she was trying the snake's patience –of which he had not much- and so she chose to speak out what she thought safe to say "Sasuke saved me from a couple of Grass rogues who were after the scroll. He didn't talk to me (he never really did, even before) so I don't know exactly what he's up to these days although he seems to be travelling."

"Good" Orochimaru acquiesced, approving of her confession "Now tell me more about his companion."

No. This was what Karin wanted to spit at his face right then. She wasn't dumb after all, if Sasuke had wanted to gather information about the missing sannin from her, he would have by all means; yet he had done nothing under the eyes of his pink-haired teammate. His intentions of keeping Sakura out of this were clear to Karin, now the question was how to get herself out of this bind. She had to say something, if not, who knew what would become of her… The Uzumaki took a short, quiet intake of air, summoning up her courage to conceal her thoughts and say expressionlessly "Her name is Sakura Haruno," the name was something Orochimaru would know in time if not already, so she had no choice but to tell him "she's a medic-nin, actually, the Fifth Hokage's apprentice."

"Of this I know," _'Naturally…'_ Karin thought, biting back the anxious iciness creeping over her senses "What I wish to hear is the kind of relationship Sasuke-kun has with her…"

No genius was needed to guess what such a question could bring about and so, Karin immediately covered up with made-up pieces of truth "She's his old teammate from when they were genin. That girl's really irritating and chatty and kind of a brute at times. He said she was annoying…'a lot like me'."

Orochimaru contemplated the new information he had just been given, his mouth drawing into a thin, white line and eyebrows in a frown "I see…" he hissed low under his breath "Is there anything else you noted about her?"

After a second Karin shook her head and watched anxiously as Orochimaru narrowed his yellow eyes at her and turned back towards the stairs. He waved his hand away, spitting "You are dismissed" and waited until he heard the door close and footsteps vanish in the corridor before licking his lips thoroughly with his long, snake tongue. He may have to be patient for now, but the prospect of the fascinating answers he would obtain very soon truly was worth the wait.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _First of all to all of you who didn't see the note I added in the previous chapter: Sakura CAN have babies, right now she is just ON THE PILL. I was surprised so many people misunderstood, but as long as you simply ask instead of sending hate, it's perfectly fine._

 _Ok then, about this chapter. What did you guys think of Karin? Yes, maybe she was a bit OoC, but I took the liberty of making her evolve a little towards how she appeared in Gaiden (or at least I tried). I hope you enjoyed it!^^_

 _And of course, the second part of the chapter. I was soooo friggin' scared out of my wits the first time I saw Orochimaru during the chuunin exams. It felt like I was there with Sasuke and Sakura! I don't think I was able to give this impression here, he's more dulled off like in shippuden...I still hope it was good enough!_

 _Expect to see a bit more sasusaku in the next chapter. Until then you can still enjoy our 'marvelous' (cough!) weekly filler episode of shippuden (it's not that bad...just...ugh...GIVE US BACK THE WAR!)_

 _See you~_


	33. Part 7 - Chapter 32

_**FLY AWAY- Part 7 : Daymare**_

 _ **Chapter 32**_

Mornings seemed to always be the nicest with Sakura by his side, in his arms, her pleasant scent filling his mind and his dreams –because nightmares didn't dare come anymore with the Fifth Hokage's apprentice ready to reduce them to smithereens. But this time when Sasuke's eyelids slowly broke open to the light of day, he found no spot of pink hair in his immediate field of vision. It took a few seconds more for him to realize there was no one in his arms and for worry to suddenly creep into his still drowsy mind. He blinked and pivoted his head from side to side on his pillow to look for her. Where could she be? Under the covers? The pillow? The bed? Where could she be? Oh, there she was, giggling lightly as she made her way to sit down on the border of the bed closest to him.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!"

A low half-annoyed, half-relieved moan left his closed mouth in response. His vision was slowly settling, making the blur of pink and red before him appear clearer; that's when he realized that Sakura was already fully clothed. The young man brought a hand up to push away some bangs, rub his right eye, all the while pushing his upper body up on his other elbow. He wanted to ask her where she was going –because if she were ready to leave town, she would have woken him up at the same time as her- but the pink haired kunoichi stopped him mid-thought by planting an arm on the mattress beside his head to lean in closer to him, extending her free hand to his face. Slightly surprised but too tired to have his eyes anything but narrow, he let her reach out for a long lock of raven hair next to his left eye. He thought she would brush it aside, but no, she started playing with it.

After an inquisitive observation of her fingers twirling his hair above his nose, Sasuke looked back at the girl's smiling face "What are you thinking about?"

He barely noticed her jump "Oh, nothing" Sakura replied idly, her voice smooth and calm. "You know, back then you used to keep your bangs out of the way" As she said this, she pushed back the hair in her fist to expose his forehead; like the time she was referring to, only some dark locks were left to cup each side of his face. But then she let go of his hair without warning so that it to fell down over his eyes "Do they bother you now?"

Sighing quietly, Sasuke pushed the locks away "More or less…"

Sakura let out a little hearty laugh before setting her eyes on his dark ones. Bending her arm to rest her elbow on the bed instead of her hand, the kunoichi crawled down closer to her lover and pecked his lips "Since we're in a rather big town, I think it's a good idea to go shopping" she explained "We don't have much food left and it can't hurt to buy some extra bandages. Besides, I saw some interesting offer about turtle shell powder…"

"Stay" Sasuke's voice had betrayed his thoughts; it was his fault for being reluctant to officially wake up, his mind was still foggy. No use beating himself up now though, especially when the tender smile which followed her expression of surprise spread more warmth and comfort all over his body than any blanket could achieve.

"I don't want to bother you with my errands" the medic-nin retorted as she probably knew he would offer to come with her if she refused to stay. And then Sakura did the thing he would have least expected: No she didn't hit him, she didn't pout, she didn't yell either because that would have been totally unjustified, she didn't kiss him again… Sakura lifted two fingers above his head – "I'll see you _very_ soon, when I get back"- and poked him gently on the forehead.

Standing up immediately after, she left Sasuke wide eyed, stunned, petrified on the bed. Her footsteps made the honey-colored, neat, waxed parquet creak a little. One, two, three, four, five steps and Sasuke threw his legs over the edge of the bed in order to stand, but once again and exceptionally, his words beat his actions "Sakura! I…"

She turned to face him, obviously surprised by his reaction. Had she any idea of how much this gesture meant to him? How deep and pure a demonstration of love it was? Sasuke had yet to tell her everything about Itachi, how he had been the most influent person in his life besides Naruto and what his passed-down forehead-poke actually meant; but even so, this young woman had already professed these feelings that she had always unwaveringly nurtured for him with _words_ , something so difficult for the last Uchiha. If Sakura could borrow his ways to assert her affection towards him, then Sasuke might as well try to do the same.

Only the words would not leave his throat. They stayed stuck, held back by the dark claws of his demons lurking out of the obscurity of his soul. _"No!"_ they screamed voices raspy and dry like darkness, breathy like undead, venomous _"Attachment is an abomination! It only ever hurt you in the past and it will still now!"_ Each fought for dominance within Sasuke's mind, gradually extinguishing the passionate fire burning in his heart _"How foolish of you to have acknowledged your bonds before, do you want the pain so bad?"-"You care for her so much, it drives you mad!"-"Do you want to see her ripped away from you? Remember when that happened in the fortress? And with your family too?"-"You've already gone so far,_ _ **too**_ _far!"-"Listen and protect her! You know how to."_ Sasuke lowered his gaze to the floor, bit the inside of his cheek, refraining himself from seizing and shaking his aching head in front of Sakura. What good would it do to drive her away now? _"It's your fault for letting her in in the first place."_ No. What he wanted to do now, what he needed was to keep Sakura by his side –hell if that mere thought didn't scare him as much as it thrilled him- and for that he had to…

"It's okay," her sweet voice suddenly came from the other side of the room; and he lifted up his eyes to see Sakura absolutely radiant, smiling genuinely with a look of utmost, unadulterated love in her sparkly, so full of life viridian orbs. "I understand" she said, her beam even brighter if possible.

Sasuke felt light under her gaze –it was silly but so true- he could only nod before she disappeared behind the door with a wave. He stared after her with the overwhelming joy to find the voices from earlier gone –he smugly ventured to think Sakura's words had the power to shut them up whenever. The young shinobi still had a hard time believing he had almost said **it**. To think that three years prior he had been as eager to talk about love as to go back to Konoha… Now he could imagine it; his getting married and rebuilding his clan. Not that the future appeared all clear or anything to Sasuke -he still hadn't turned twenty after all- but now he could picture a happy existence with Sakura when all he had had before was a blood-stained path of loneliness.

Could he really allow himself to dream about it? Such a life would be so simple, and light, free of his sins…It would be nice…In some years, once he was ridden of his past, his name would be cleansed and he would come back to Konoha for good, to a village where he had his place, with his one and only best friend and their old, silver haired tutor there to support them; to a house where _she_ would wait for him and say he was welcome home. And he would be at peace.

The Uchiha only realized the upward turn of his lips when he lay a hand on his face where Sakura had touched him (the slightest graze of her fingers on his skin had left weird, annoying, soft tingles). "Hn" he let out, standing up at last and heading for the mirror in their hotel room to prepare for the day. Despite their being in a fairly large town, Sasuke found he had not much to do -not any pressing matter that he could only settle here at least. He could always take a walk, but he didn't want to miss Sakura when she came back _"very soon"_ , so eventually, the shinobi chose to waste his time. Taking a lazy breakfast with the last onigiri his teammate had left for him, reviewing the map to plan out their possible itineraries, waiting…It wasn't half bad with the prospect of Sakura coming back to him soon. After an hour though, he thought she might have lost her way in the streets of this unknown city, for a small errand shouldn't have taken so long unless the different shops where at opposite ends of town. This was a plausible scenario; others involved her beating up a bunch of perverts or pick-pockets, helping a lost kid find their mother… She was so kind after all, it wasn't unlikely.

However, Sasuke's patience was slowly wearing thin. He wanted her back, to have another try maybe, or simply to have her company again. He found himself glancing at the clock by the bed more often than not in the fifteen minutes that followed his hour of waiting. Persuading himself to wait some more –because Sakura could get _really_ lost since she was so absent-minded at times and all- Sasuke reclined a little more in his chair to observe the scenery beyond the large window at his right. It was simply the building across the street, made of light brown stone and wood, with a couple of red flowers hanging from the centered, architectural balcony. The raven haired young man had noticed Sakura enjoyed comfy beds in nice hotels, especially when she could share them with him. So he had selected a very good-looking place that was sure not to disappoint her. He, on the other hand, had to miss the endless horizons, meadows and stars above his head a little; it wouldn't be for long though as they would leave tomorrow morning at most.

A knock suddenly resounded on the white door of the bedroom. Sasuke looked up, eyebrow raised, before making his way to open it. A smiling pinkette looked back up at him "Sasuke-kun! I'm sorry I took a while, I got a little lost" She gently hit the side of her head with her fist, eyes shut and tongue out in a cute pout that didn't fail to remind the Uchiha of his teammate's old ways, back when they were genin. Passing by Sasuke, Sakura let herself into the room and dropped her large shopping bags by the desk where he had previously sat, all the while telling him all about her adventures. "Did you miss me?" She asked in a sweet voice once sure that her bags were well positioned and wouldn't fall off.

Sasuke was silent, poker-faced, merely observing her with those analytical black orbs of his. In response, Sakura shrugged and drew the chair of the desk to sit cross-legged, chin resting on her hand in a seductive posture. There, she stared back for a whole five minutes with a grin on her pink lips before bursting out laughing. As soon as her fit had begun, it subsided. The kunoichi straightened up and pouted again instead "I thought you'd at least welcome me, Sasuke-k…"

A kunai was at her throat the next second. Sasuke had appeared behind her seemingly out of nowhere when he had been standing by the door barely an instant before. The Uchiha had let the kunai hidden in his left sleeve slide down into his bandaged hand to position it against the thin skin of the girl's neck as soon as he was certain of his assumption. Sasuke pressed just enough to draw thin drops of blood and stain the razor sharp blade "Where is she."

Truly, it wasn't a question. The pink haired girl blinked, her mouth forming a perfect 'O' in surprise; but despite the terribly dark and menacing tone of the young man voice, she stayed motionless on her seat, silent. Sasuke wouldn't repeat himself. He pressed his small blade harder against her neck, earning a surprised, high-pitched yelp from the girl.

Finally after what seemed to him like an eternity, she spoke in the most casual of voices "How did you find me out?"

' _Sakura doesn't knock because she knows she is free to come in, she has the key too –Sakura doesn't act like her twelve year old self anymore, she has matured and become comfortable enough to be herself around me – Sakura wouldn't annoy me with her errands like she said, unless I asked her to, or if she sensed something was on my mind and she wanted to divert my attention – Sakura would take care of her precious medical supplies at once and not leave them in their bags…'_ and the list went on. What a poor actress this kunoichi had been; and to try to fool Sasuke Uchiha who knew his dear teammate by heart could only be considered as suicide.

"You…" he let out in a loathsome whisper, the pronoun itself an insult on his tongue as it was spoken in that slow, murderous tone he had gained over time and sacrifices "…are going to tell me everything I want to know, because _you_ don't want to know what the sharingan is truly capable of." Sasuke was perfectly aware of how she could feel the crimson of his pupils burning holes into the back of her neck –he wished his glare alone could draw blood like the blade firmly pressed to her neck. He heard her gasp; she straightened a little on her chair before stilling completely, so he continued "Why did you attack her?"

The kunoichi's voice was loud enough, but the slight shaking in it betrayed her true distress "We were ordered to."

' _So she wasn't alone'_ "By who?"

The sound of people going about their daily business in the streets below was now all there was to hear as the temperature in the room lowered considerably. It felt like winter in this afternoon of late May, but the temperature of Sasuke's body was much lower because of the cold blood running fast in his veins. He was enraged yes, but not quite like a blazing fire: with the icy fury of a reptile wanting to plunge its poisonous fangs into its victim's flesh and make it last, to taste all of its agony. He wanted to kill. Such an urge was beyond difficult to weaken for a bloodthirsty avenger of his kind; his patience was running short as well. There was something else he could do –nothing sufficient to relieve those instincts, but enough to obtain what was necessary.

Sasuke yanked on the girl's arm from behind, violently spinning her around to face him; which she did with wide eyes as he had expected. He held her tightly above her elbow, letting her fall down on her knees when her gaze met the mangekyou sharingan straight on. His torturous genjutsu was enough to make her scream out for bloody murder –because it might have been just that. It only lasted a couple of seconds -hardly enough to make Sasuke enjoy his prey's suffering- but she was panting by the time her nightmare seemed over; until the young Uchiha harshly pulled her up again to find her eyes –they were gray now, she had reverted back to her plain, brown haired, skinny original form. She shrunk back, gasping when the sharingan found her eyes again, but no horrible visions flashed before her eyes _yet_.

And she spoke.

The sky had now become a sad gray with clouds covering its previously azure brightness. The town was long left, the hotel room abandoned by the shinobi who was running through the humid forests of before, alone. The hobo hidden in the shadow of the avenger in Sasuke's soul had found out recently that in all the years spent wandering around this earth he had never ran so much, never been pushed to such edges when Sakura hadn't been the number one priority in his mind. However, this was not nearly the worst –running endlessly, for a whole afternoon, back to the designated hideout of the kidnapper- no…

" _She was screaming by that time…" – 'How could you_ _ **leave**_ _her!?'_

"… _but soon she became too weak to even do that and…" –'You worthless, selfish excuse of a man! We had warned you!'_

"… _she fell limp when she couldn't fight anymore" – 'You knew perfectly well what was bound to happen and you did_ _ **nothing**_ _.'_

…it was by far the endless echo of the numerous details given by the gray eyed girl along with the hateful comments of his demons constantly resounding in his mind.

Sasuke could see the scene playing before his wild eyes as if he had been there to witness his umpteenth failure. It all came in red, white and black, so similar to the Tsukuyomi he had suffered at the age of seven. There she was, Sakura, as beautiful as ever, walking in the streets on her way back to their inn; a vivid image depicting even the slightest shadow cast on her soft cheeks by her long eyelashes. Suddenly a black flash; the scenery blurred and darkened. Shadows of funny-looking building stretched on the road as she rounded a corner only to end up alone in the middle of an empty, silent street. Then came a long, powerful arm pulling her roughly into a narrow alley –Sasuke knew the culprit: it was Yoroi, that ninja who had sucked out his chakra through a mere graze of his hand during the preliminary matches of the chuunin exams. It was perfectly calculated, the exact right technique to subdue a user of the Byakugou no In. Now, like lightning, sharp flashes of white came with each attempt Sakura made to break free of her attacker's grip. Their blinding light intensified when her high-pitched cries became weak, desperate gasps as her chakra was rapidly drained -Sasuke could hear them loud and clear, deafening in his ears. Her green eyes –rendered red here- were gradually closing, as if offering him a chance to pry them open with each second ticking by but denying it the next by shutting out all light from her so shiny emeralds. She fell unconscious, but in Sasuke's monochrome vision her white skin looked so deathly pale that her numb form might as well have been void of life.

Then the third man entered into play: he was a proficient user of Hiraishin, the last one on this earth and someone that Sasuke did not recall ever meeting before. His lips were moving without clear words coming out; he seized Yoroi and Sakura with each of his hands. The next moment they were gone.

The third member of the squad, the kunoichi, had been assigned to hold Sasuke back at least a little by transforming into their target. She should have been thankful to him for not coming back to her master's den anytime soon after everything she had spilled out in the most terrible fear.

Sasuke stopped in his rush, breathless and unable to keep going like this anymore. He drew blood from a hard bite of his right thumb and placed it flat on the ground, swiftly mounting the gigantic hawk that appeared behind the smoke. Even then, soaring high above the trees with the wind lashing at his face, the flight would never be fast enough to reach Orochimaru's hideout in time for the Uchiha.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _There! I'm sorry I'm a bit late, I've had so many things to do lately!^^"_

 _In this chapter, I tried my best to create very contrasting moods in each of the three parts: the scene with Sakura, then with the kunoichi and the last one. If you can please tell me what you thought about this or any other point I would be overjoyed!_

 _I hope you liked it although this was rather predictable, I guess... Well, you'll see in the next chapter! ;)_


	34. Part 7 - Chapter 33

_**FLY AWAY- Part 7 : Daymare**_

 _ **Chapter 33**_

It had started to rain a little now, not yet an early summer storm but merely its forewarning. It had been an hour since he had started flying, about two since he had left his captive's dead body at the inn. The horizon passed by before his eyes, never fast enough.

True despair crept over his senses.

~O~

Sakura was deeply shocked, scared even, to find that her wrists were bound by rope and that she was inside a dark, hot and unfamiliar place. She forced herself to get a grip immediately after –because the hard stone floor on which she was sitting clearly indicated that this was not nearly a bedroom and as far as she could tell, she was alone.

Her kunoichi instincts kicked in at that moment. Having already woken up with a start, there was no more need to fake unconsciousness and so she scanned her surroundings carefully, smelt the air to identify an atmosphere or the scent of something she might know. When her eyes adjusted to the dim darkness at last, she was able to discern the shape of some stairs and some furniture beyond them. Besides that, it was all black and she couldn't even see the wall opposite her. The scent…was something which brought her slight reassurance: ashes and freshly burnt firewood, just like Sasuke.

Where was he now? Did he know that she had been kidnapped? No, questions like these would have to wait, although half of her prayed that she would have the time to come back to him as if nothing had happened and save him the stress of such an event. Oh, how delusional this sounded…

Now, another more preoccupying matter -easily deducible from her unnatural physical exhaustion - was the painful knowledge that the diamond on Sakura's forehead was no longer there, vanished because of complete chakra depletion. How long had that man sucked out her strength exactly? How long had it been since she had been taken away? ' _Focus, Sakura'_ she pried herself. First, she had to evaluate her options, and fast, in case someone would come.

The kunoichi shifted her hips around and kicked with her right leg. Some faint clinking sounds rewarded her efforts so she concluded that she had not been disarmed –something strange however, considering that there was no mistaking the fact that she had been kidnapped. This opened another option: instead of using the ninja technique to undo ties and therefore wasting what ridiculous amount of chakra she had left, Sakura could just as well find a kunai in her back-pouch and cut the ropes. What next though? She had no idea where she was or if she was locked up in this room, and without her strength she would be reduced to basic taijutsu combat in case of emergencies.

As she laboriously freed her wrists in her uncomfortable position, Sakura tried to think of a possible way out of this situation. Numerous plans passed by her mind, but hardly one safe enough to be implemented. There were still too many variables to solve out but she wasn't about to stay put and wait for the worst to come. Once free, the maverick girl would have stood up and started for the door anyway –only it creaked open before she could. Sakura didn't move an inch, pretending to still be bound, but looking alert as fire suddenly lit the bowls all around the room. The pink haired medic squeezed her eyes shut because of the sudden light, blinked, and then opened her emerald green orbs wide in utter shock –no, she realized soon enough that the draining of all color from her face and the almost painful stiffening of the smallest muscles in her body resulted from something she didn't allow herself to feel often: genuine _terror_.

~O~

He was so cold. Not because of the rain currently splattering him and his hawk's feathers –no, how little would he have cared about this at the moment had he been the slightest bit conscious of his surroundings. As his mind was blinded by fear for the worst, his eyes could only see it happening before them in spasmodic visions of black and white, the only stain of color being the dark, red blood covering the lifeless body of the woman he cared for the most in this world.

She had probably been slain by now.

If not, her blood would be slowly pooling out around her porcelain body by the time he arrived, as red as her dress. _Darker_ , smelling of iron.

No! He couldn't lose hope now when she needed him most. But…how…?

The wind felt like needles against his skin; the rain like blood dripping from her open wounds. He was so cold.

~O~

Sakura sat petrified between two of the bowls lighting the room with bright flames, unable to say a word or to even look up high enough to meet the icy, yellow, reptile eyes of the man who had always haunted her darkest nightmares as a child. He walked in in overwhelming silence –because his resounding footsteps hardly seemed to register in Sakura's head in the panic of the instant- slowly and soundlessly slithering his way to the pink haired medic seated on the floor. A thin, lopsided smirk on his white face, Orochimaru set his eyes on her "At last, we meet again."

Sakura had to wait a second before putting her iron mask back on and frowning deeply to analyze the situation. He didn't give her the time "Tsunade-hime's famed disciple, Sakura Haruno…" his voice was low, enigmatic, cold as it had always been even in this supposedly light introducing tone "I have been wanting to see you for a while."

Sakura proudly tilted her chin up to finally look at his face. His expression - unaltered by the passing of time and twisted, yet calm- stared back at her like that time in the Forest of Death where she had been so scared, so powerless. Scared, she still was; powerless, nearly. But this wasn't going to snatch away her voice. "What do you want from me?" The girl shot back in a snarl.

A short snicker escaped his thin lips as he lowered his head a little more, shielding one sulfur-colored eye with long, ink black strands of hair to enlighten the other's look of sheer interest which resembled that of a scientist about to conduct new experiments on a guinea-pig. "Many things indeed..." the snake sannin replied evasively, leaving unsaid words to entertain the kunoichi's imagination.

Sakura's frown deepened a little more, her twitching eyebrows betraying her true nervousness; but Orochimaru crouched down before her. In spite of herself, she recoiled abruptly, her back flat against the wall when he lifted a long, snake-like limb to her face and cupped her chin with his sharp-nailed thumb. "A fairly pretty creature, yes…" he whispered low, his piercing eyes studying the tiny, bulging pupils in hers "…Though I wonder whether this trait was enough for him."

The young medic sharply tilted her head aside and away from his inhuman, cold touch "What are you talking about!?" she screeched.

Orochimaru chuckled again "Right, of course. Let's wait no longer to begin." He stood back up to examine her from above, though Sakura doubted that it was because of the glare of a hound about to bite she had given him. Orochimaru stared superiorly at the kunoichi for a couple of seconds that she almost counted as they ticked by within her head, and then spoke again, sounding more bored this time to hide his sharp curiosity "You have been Sasuke-kun's teammate for years and now, you're traveling at his side. Why?"

Sakura frowned in confusion. _'Why?'_ she wanted to repeat, _'why would such a thing matter to him?'_ Seeing this, the snake sannin figured he had to specify the nature of his question "Be assured that I have no particular interest in a blood-line less shinobi such as yourself, however, it intrigues me that my former pupil would allow the likes of you to accompany him."

The pink haired girl clenched her teeth in response, clearly insulted; but Orochimaru continued "I can't see the use of such an enterprise for him, truly. So I thought maybe you would enlighten me."

The slits in his eyes became thinner, sharper if possible, as though cutting through the girl's flesh to dissect her and seek out answers. Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, resolute not to let a word slip from her mouth that would possibly endanger Sasuke or her. Orochimaru frowned in turn, visibly losing his patience as he hissed dryly "I'm afraid you are slow on understanding so I'll rephrase this: What are you to Sasuke-kun?"

Now Sakura understood. Loud and clear. She lowered her head to hide her widening eyes.

This man right here wanted to use her to get to Sasuke. And it was painfully obvious how well _it would work_. Once he was certain, Orochimaru would torture her enough to make her suffer and scream, just so Sasuke would hear when he came for her –because he would; the snake sannin had planned it all perfectly. The young Uchiha would see her; the icing on the cake would be to have her die in his arms. Then Orochimaru would no longer have to worry about one of the world's strongest protectors thwarting his plans; Sasuke would be gone, lost to utter darkness forever.

Sakura snapped out of it when she started imagining what Naruto would have to endure to try and save his best friend from the Curse of Hatred all over again. **NO**. She would **not** let that happen. She would _not_ let Sasuke fall victim to despair once more when he had showed her plainly that she meant so much to him. She would _not_ die. She would _not_ loose.

There was a pregnant pause in the round room, fire cracking and beating the air the only sound to be heard. Time stood still. Orochimaru was looking on, downwards at the silent kunoichi who kept staring at the floor. One more image of her beloved, peaceful at last in their hotel room this morning, flashed in her mind. One more second and she was ready.

In a split instant Sakura was at her captor's throat, kunai in hand. The next, dark blood was splattering the front of her dress, the weapon she had swiftly drawn from her pouch stuck in the snake sannin's exposed neck as his eyes opened rounder than they had ever been, like those of a ghost, emptied by shock. More blood flooded Orochimaru's mouth and open throat, pouring down onto Sakura who was still close enough to be stained by it. When all beating vanished from the pulse on the wrist she was gripping, the pink haired jounin pushed the corpse away from her with a disgusted growl. The sannin's body fell down heavily on the floor but Sakura paid no heed as she was already starting for the door, slightly out of breath because of adrenaline. By running as such, she remembered exactly just how badly chakra depletion affected one's system. She was drained -literally- rendered unable to do much more than trot to the exit as fast as her wobbly legs would let her. She would really have to play it smooth to escape.

"Haha…"

Sakura stopped abruptly barely two meters away from the door. Her inner voice screamed at her to ignore that ominous chuckle and get the hell out of here, but it was already too late. When she felt two cold, slick and long forms slowly sliding up the length of both her legs from her feet, Sakura gasped. Frozen, she dipped her gaze down to see two thick, black snake wound up around her thighs, their blood-red tongues darting out with low hisses and golden orbs observing her so much like their master that she could not help shuddering at the thought.

"Hahaha…" Orochimaru chuckled quietly, darkly from further behind her "I should have known. Sasuke-kun does not wish for a burden on a battlefield as a companion."

Sakura bit her bottom lip _'What do I do now? A few kunai strikes won't be enough to end him! But like this…!'_ She couldn't give in to panic, no. She had to stay strong and level-headed to plan her escape. Another loud hiss from the snakes cut in Sakura's thoughts and as though hearing them, the reptiles tightened their grasps on her legs to signify 'no way out'.

Orochimaru's long, white hand appeared in her field of vision when he placed it on her bare shoulder. She repressed another shudder at the utter iciness of it, equaling that of the snakes' scales. "It is true…" the sannin whispered in her ear, so that her heart stopped sharply, utterly paralyzed, constricted by terror "…that you must be more of a challenge with your seal of strength, like Tsunade. But I am not here to play with you."

~O~

Sasuke's mind had had the time to blank entirely by the time he arrived at the hideout designated by the girl with gray eyes. At first, he didn't even rush inside. He simply walked, mechanic, empty. But as minutes ticked by with each of his steps resounding on the stone floor leading down to the maze-like corridors of Orochimaru's den, something began crackling within Sasuke. Whether it was his hopes, his heart, his soul or his whole being, he wasn't sure; only it shattered and fell apart so much like those meteors detaching themselves from the moon some months ago, heavy, hard and scorching.

Then he started running. It became dark with mere torches lighting the way every fifteen meters, so he activated his sharingan too. Sasuke only realized he had unsheathed his sword when he found a body strew on his way, bloodied from a precise blow that he did not even remember giving. There were droplets of water at his feet: He was still wet from the rain too because he had forgotten his cloak in his haste. _'Sakura'_ her name came to his mind as he started running again, deeper into the underground hallways. He wouldn't allow himself to dwell on the thought of her any longer; being possessed by instinct appeared just fine right now in order not to collapse in despair.

Whoever Sasuke encountered on his path, he slayed, regardless of strangers or the familiar faces he had occasionally met during his apprenticeship with the snake sannin. When they came lunging at him to subdue the intruder, Sasuke had no eyes to step aside, block their blades, somersault or counter with a lethal blow of his own, he simply did all those and pressed on blindly. He had no idea how much blood was soaking his dark gray flak jacket by now, he wouldn't even have known where he was at this point had a voice not dared call him.

"Sasuke! The hell are you doing here!?"

It was a familiar face, but not one he wanted or needed to cut down this time, one with white hair and amethyst eyes, standing aghast behind prison bars, mouth open to reveal pointed teeth: Suigetsu. Sasuke couldn't have cared less how the swordsman had ended up here; he would have pressed on in his blind trance, had Suigetsu not offered his help to find someone who could track Sakura. The Uchiha gave him the water dripping from his clothes to drink and then, three members of the former team Taka were reunited when they met up with Karin. Again, Sasuke barely noticed how on edge she seemed at the news of her friend's capture by the snake sannin, the medic's chakra track being so weak that she hadn't even felt it before. They could never reach their destination fast enough to Sasuke, but at the same time they arrived all too soon.

Karin and Suigetsu didn't go past that large, wooden door –they had done their best and at Sasuke's first true 'conscious' decision of the day, they fled to the surface -it wasn't in their power to go against their master, besides, Sasuke was ready to resort to _anything_ to save Sakura. At any cost.

In spite of his companions' words of encouragement, the raven haired ninja felt lonelier in this moment than he had for a long time. He forced himself to believe it didn't matter, to remind himself of what he could achieve with his own power; but what use would this power be if he were to discover Sakura's corpse like he had his parents' so many years ago behind the closed door?

Regardless, he burned it down in dark flames, rushing in at once.

What he saw was sure to stay forever engraved in his mind like the memory of that fateful night.

Some six meters away from him, near the center of the room, was Sakura. Her hair was messy with locks sticking into her eyes. She had scratches on her face and forehead where no indigo diamond could be seen; blood was all over her clothes; Sasuke immediately noticed two small, symmetrical holes dripping with red liquid on her right leg. This mark had most probably been left by the reptile whose neck was crushed in her fist right now, when it had sunk its teeth into her flesh. She was barely standing on those trembling legs, but good grief she was still _alive_. It was only after this speedy inspection that he saw the remainders of Orochimaru's renowned substitution jutsu further behind her. The sannin himself seemed nowhere to be found.

Sakura toppled down on the floor. That is when Sasuke saw the other creature rising from behind her, slick, black and thick, the trademark summon of his former master. The second snake opened its mouth wide, baring its long sharp teeth and ready to dive in for the kill –it didn't have time as flames as dark as its scales suddenly erupted on its body and consumed it whole in a mere minute. Finally her name left Sasuke's lips in a strangled cry "Sakura!"

The pink haired kunoichi laboriously raised her body on her knees and elbows, looking up at him with eyes not quite relieved, but not quite despaired either anymore. He was about to run to her, take her in his arms for all he cared about the blood covering them –but there was no time.

Sakura was pulled up by the hair harshly. She whimpered in pain; then another white hand appeared from the shadows to put a kunai at her neck. Orochimaru stood smirking behind her and with one of his cheeks reddened by what appeared like the trace of an earlier punch. When Sakura started shifting in the slightest, it couldn't be said clearly whether she was fighting back her attacker or actually shaking from her near-incapacity to stand, which made the sannin chuckle all the more. After less than a minute, her knees buckled and only Orochimaru's grip maintained her standing, immobile. Her tired emerald orbs investigated Sasuke's. Sakura recognized that glare reserved to those who earned his utmost _hatred,_ those he truly wanted to _murder_ , yet only she could see that almost undecipherable spark in the crimson of his pupils, something so rare, something he couldn't hide from her: fright.

"It has been a while, Sasuke-kun" Orochimaru was the first to break the silence that had been weighting over the room for several minutes. Unsurprisingly, he received no answer from his former apprentice and had to carry on "I had been wanting to talk to you."

Sasuke didn't reply. Despite his reviewing all his techniques and possibilities to flee, his mind remained too clouded by anxiety to think straight. At the same time he couldn't afford to take a wrong step on answering the sannin. That is what he chose to focus on for the moment. "I have nothing to tell you."

"Oh?" Orochimaru arched a perfect eyebrow above sharp yellow eyes. Sasuke's gamble was right: he wouldn't be set off so easily when he obviously had something to say or ask. "Haha…I see you haven't changed so much from the time you were my pupil. Still so insolent…"

Sakura gasped when Orochimaru pulled harder on her hair to put her face better in display. Sasuke blinked in shock in spite of himself; the snake carried on, cold "Tell me Sasuke-kun, what have you been up to these past years?"

Sakura was biting her bottom lip, eyes shut tight to suppress the pain –without much success. The young Uchiha could clearly see she was forcing her body not to cry. Even when he knew this was but the smallest harm Orochimaru could do to her, the sight of her suffering increased Sasuke's tenfold. He couldn't make a mistake. He _couldn't_ make a mistake. He **_couldn't_** make a mistake. It was too important. Sakura was too important.

And so the room stayed silent for a minute that felt like years, decades, centuries. Both Sakura and Sasuke –unbeknown to each other- were trying to figure a way out of this; Orochimaru was waiting, patiently, securing his blade at the pink haired girl's alabaster neck.

"I've been traveling. I wanted to see the world after the war ended." The sannin's eyebrows raised in sheer surprise when his pupil's voice echoed in the room at last. He felt the kunoichi stiffen too under his grip. Sasuke was talking honestly.

Recovering fast, the snake replied like in the most casual of conversations "I believe you wanted to change this world with your own hands as I did before, Sasuke-kun. Though I have noticed nothing much, if anything at all coming from you now that the shinobi system is rebuilding itself anew."

Sasuke's eyes were fixed forward while he spoke, but not on his interlocutor; in fact, he appeared to be watching Sakura's chest rise and fall rapidly as she panted because of stress –the sign that she was alive. "I'm not among those who are working for this yet" he said, voice monotonous, somber. "For now, I have to cleanse my name before anyone will let me help."

"I see…" Orochimaru's look of interest darkened with thoughts. He then looked up from the ground to the head of pink hair before him, a smirk tugging at his lips as he angled his blade to caress Sakura's neck with the flat of it "Then I assume she will assist you?" He inquired.

The medic took a sharp intake of breath while Sasuke's jaw tightened. The young man didn't answer. "She has fame and a good reputation," Orochimaru enlightened, his voice smooth, pouring out like dark blood out of a wound and directly in Sakura's ear when he pressed her closer against his icy cold body "and while she does not possess Karin's genetic heritage, it is true that a union with her will raise the Uchiha clan on new grounds. Am I right, Sasuke-kun?"

The sound of burning flames around them accompanied the sharingan holder's silence. The sweat on the two Leaf shinobis' bodies which mingled with the blood covering them felt as heavy as chain mails, whilst the heat from the fires lighting the dim room was like an invisible prison, caging them in a cloud of tension as thick as rock and only to be cut, no, _increased_ in force by Orochimaru's icy voice.

"Though, is this really profitable to the Uchiha as a clan?" the snake asked rhetorically, petrifying the two on their spots as they apprehensively hung to his lips. Orochimaru tilted his head a little more towards Sakura, his yellow eyes still fixed on the young man further in front of him "Think about it Sasuke-kun. Your family's heritage needs to be strengthened, not tamed. The sharingan is the most powerful weapon one could wish for, therefore weak descendants would undoubtedly cause catastrophe…" and his sulfur eyes flashed brightly when he said this, twinkling with greed, envy that Sasuke recognized oh too easily, for it was the same way Orochimaru used to look at _him_. The glint was still present when he resumed "You must be conscious that you are now the very last one of your clan. You can't afford to risk its existence by making the wrong choice."

Sasuke's pupils bulged wildly as he comprehended the true meaning of his former master's cryptic words. What use was there to conceal his widening eyes? Orochimaru knew. He knew everything all from the four sentences Sasuke had uttered. But was he truly aware of what the execution of what he had implied would cause? Was he truly aware of how it would shatter absolutely everything?

After a pause, Orochimaru opened his lips to speak again -Sasuke didn't miss the way he changed his hold on Sakura to let her off of him a little, nor the shifting of his fingers on his kunai when he raised it "Hence…"

It all happened so fast.

Sakura kicked his shin with her heel and all her remaining strength. Orochimaru cried out and tumbled down. The kunoichi did too; she couldn't support her own weight anymore.

Sasuke forced his stiff muscles to move forward when Orochimaru threw his kunai. Sasuke exchanged his place with the weapon aimed at Sakura's back. He hadn't seen the sword coming out of the sannin's mouth. It was too late; Orochimaru drew the blade in a circular, horizontal movement. It slashed.

There was the sound of a dead weight landing on the floor, and Sasuke's left side suddenly felt cold. There was no pain, no liquid gushing out of an open wound; simply the sensation of cold air and the sound of ripped cloth. He didn't even look, barely made sense of the sannin struggling to stand with a bloodied, broken bone sticking out from behind his calf before he rushed towards the girl close to his right. Sakura was looking at him as though she had just seen a ghost and it was only when he tried to pick her up that he noticed the absence of his prosthetic left arm.

A morbid chuckle came from behind them, making Sasuke's eyes widen in alarm and breaking him out of his mildly surprised state to instead have utter dread come flooding through his veins.

He didn't waste any time on finding the most accurate plan of action; the first that came to mind was the one he settled for. In a flash of purple flames, Susano'o appeared in its full glory and spread its wings to fly. It broke the ceiling and everything with it, engulfing Orochimaru's maniac laughter with the falling of rocks. The spectral giant's sword combined with chidori cut the earth in two to break to the surface, causing a landslide that killed all living souls left in the hideout.

As they pierced out of the rubble, Sasuke heard coughing from behind his back, from the kunoichi flung over his shoulder; she was _alive_.

He had no idea how long they had been flying away; he had barely registered that his common sense had forced him to switch from Susano'o to a great hawk as a means of transportation for measures of discretion. The rain had stopped. Sakura was behind him on the bird's back, panting much louder than the wind slapping at his face ruthlessly.

"S-Sasuke…kun! Please, listen" her voice was weak, but with all his senses solely focused on her to make sure she was still breathing, she might have been speaking directly into his ear. "W-we need to land!"

"We're not far enough" his tone almost surprised him when it came out. It sounded automatic, monotonous and cold, not with an ounce of soul or feeling slipping into it. Not often did he manage such complete blankness although he tried.

"We-" she paused abruptly. His eyes widened sharply when the sound of a strangled whimper met his ears. "W-we don't have a choice! I can't…I-I won't…" She couldn't say it, what with his current state. His cold words might have been enough to give the illusion of composure, but how could he truly be so when his whole body was quaking anxiously and he dared not face her but with his back? To Sakura, Sasuke looked all but calm at present.

She didn't need to say more. They descended towards the trees.

He picked her up the best he could with only one arm. She didn't complain; she couldn't when she had to save her strength. Sasuke sat her against a tree and crouched to look at her as though at some apparition out of a nightmare. With all the blood on her, it couldn't have been too far off.

"L-listen…" she began, mustering just the right strength to speak. "The snake earlier…It was poisonous…"

His reply was immediate but curt "Don't you have a cure?"

Sakura managed to shake her head before leaning back against the tree. She forced her weak knees to stay bent, her eyes to stay open, her lungs to keep taking in air, but the searing ache ravaging every inch and every cell of her body from her veins to her muscles and spine made these tasks hardly possible. "I-I have to get the poison out… first thing b-but…I don't…have enough chakra" the kunoichi explained between pants.

She saw his eyes that had stayed crimson red widen into saucers without his own knowledge. His jaw tightened and his posture stiffened too, as though his whole body was unwilling to let this information sink in. "Sasuke-kun…" she let out, voice feeble "…I'm gonna need your help."

His eyes gave her his answer.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Merry Christmas (eve)!_

 _I'm sorry it's such a tense chapter but I couldn't really change the story, I hope you liked it anyway. If so, leave a review to give me your impressions!_

 _Side note: I've read tons of fanfics where Sasuke activates his sharingan to see in the dark but here, I think it's more so he will see chakras coming at him and not be taken by surprise if attacked. I dunno, I just wanted to clarify.^^_

 _Happy Hollidays and until next week!_


	35. Part 7 - Chapter 34

_**FLY AWAY –Part 7 : Daymare**_

 _ **Chapter 34**_

Sasuke had never used any medical-ninjutsu before in his life. His chakra control, although sufficient for a front-line fighter, had never been good enough to equal that of the lowest-ranked medical-nin. All he knew was how to wound, to torture, to kill.

With Sakura on the thin fence between life and death, panting heavily in his lap and struggling not to yell out in pain with the last of her voice, he found himself wishing he were someone else, someone with the power to save her.

She had seized his remaining hand into both of hers and placed it on her leg. To control her chakra to the point of completing the Strength of a Hundred seal that only a tiny handful of shinobis had ever mastered on this Earth was nothing short of a prowess; to control someone else's chakra to heal herself was a whole new challenge.

And she felt it. The slightest mistake caused the worst of pains to burn her body. Sasuke dared not even try to help his teammate to manipulate his chakra; he simply let her drain all the power she needed, desperate for it to be enough. But having to listen to her cries, to watch her tears flow out without an end, to know she was in pain and be unable to do a thing… It would have driven him mad had the situation been any other, for what little he could still do was to keep himself in check while she proceeded.

Sakura screamed and writhed –that was why she had asked Sasuke to restrain her during the operation. The operation was rudimentary; she hardly had any appropriate medical components, or any time for that matter. She wasn't even sure she would last long enough to execute such a risky maneuver. But it was their only hope.

"Ngh! Aah-arg!" Sakura squeezed her eyes shut tighter to the point where her eyelid's muscles called her back to order with a harsh sting for being strained too much. This medical technique was a rougher version of the one she had used on Kankurou back all those years ago. Possessing no better medical fluid, she had opted for water to extract the poison, although now it was turning a darker and thicker red because of all the blood she had drained at the same time as the black venom of the snake. The skin on her thigh around the bite mark had become incredibly red with the concentration of blood, whereas the rest of her body was now a deathly pale; if she didn't die of poisoning, the hemorrhage would finish her off.

The black liquid came drop by drop, painfully slow. How long had she been at it? An hour? More? How could she have lasted more?

With his hand busy, Sasuke could only hold her hips tight between his knees. It wasn't the most romantic of embraces, but just having him there, breathing heavily, but warmly on her neck, it felt reassuring to Sakura, even when her head was trashing around on his collarbone, when she had to bite down hard on her bottom lip and let more droplets of her own blood fall down onto his already scarlet-stained shirt. "Sa-…Sasuke-kun…"

"S-Sakura! Come on!" She had never heard his voice cracking like this before.

The pink haired girl let out another whimper behind clenched teeth. The sensation of some more blood trickling down her chin came to her –true enough she couldn't feel her bottom lip anymore, even as she spoke his name again to give herself the courage to carry on. Why was it so cold all of a sudden?

An eternity passed by. It was night. Sasuke had lit a fire with his eye power to warm them up a little, without much success. Sakura felt so cold in his lap. Her skin was of ice and it had turned from peachy pink to snow white, so that it clashed strikingly with the bright pink and red of her hair. The young Uchiha was breathing as though suffocated underwater. He had started repeating Sakura's name aloud like a mantra to keep her awake. Only late in the night did he realize that she was passed out cold in his arms.

He couldn't sleep a wink.

~O~

The day couldn't have been brighter. There was the breeze, light and warm, the air just cool enough and the sky oh so blue. Little clouds drifted by in the atmosphere, round and fluffy-looking. The grass and the leaves on the trees were dancing too, accompanied by the serenade of light-hearted birds nearby.

Green, green eyes slowly stirred open to see sunlight filtering through those green, green, golden-lined leaves. Sakura's vision was a little blurry. And she felt so numb; her body was so heavy on the ground that she thought she might have left a person-shaped hole there. The medic blinked because of excess of light, let her eyes adjust gradually as the breeze brushed away a stray lock of pink hair from her nose. She beheld the yellow sun rays lighting the leaves which formed the unreachable ceiling of a cathedral above her and took a deep breath to savor the taste of pure oxygen in her mouth and in her throat before it reached her lungs. It seemed it would take more than a snake's dirty tricks to bring her down.

She took that thought back when she tried to sit up and found her muscles struggling with the simplest of actions. Pushing her arms up to lift her upper body felt like such a herculean task that she contemplated remaining flat on her back for a moment more –that is before a familiar white and red fan hit her peripheral vision. Sakura instantly tried to kneel, then to stand, but found no success in either attempt. In her struggle she ended up leaning on her elbow towards the familiar back of the man she loved who was still much too far away. Knowing him, he probably already knew she was awake, so why wasn't he moving to greet her? How rude!

Coming from a near death experience, Sakura couldn't hold it against him for too long "S-Sasuke-kun!" She called out, finding her voice to be almost back to its normal tone. What wonders could a good sleep accomplish.

The Uchiha didn't move an inch as he seemed busy with some other task at the moment. Still, it wasn't too much to ask for a little attention after all they had been through, so Sakura called his name again, and again…He wasn't turning around.

That's when she began suspecting something was up. With an expression of wonder painted on her face, Sakura tried to move once more, but upon having a sharp pain striking her leg, she stopped all shifting and quietly whimpered . When she looked up she found Sasuke making his way to her slowly.

Yes, he was slow for one thing, but he also looked grave, definitely more somber than usual. Maybe it was only normal, after all, Sakura couldn't expect him to go back to normal so easily with everything that had happened in Orochimaru's hideout. He stood erect a little way beside her without initiating eye-contact or else; and with her head tilted up to see him from her spot on the ground, Sakura noticed something peculiar on his right arm. The sleeve was no longer held up by navy blue bands and covered his whole arm now, but thanks to the looseness of it, she could see the bandages around the length of Sasuke's forearm from his wrist.

The medic blinked at this discovery, instantly worried "What happened to your-?"

"You've been out for three days."

This time, simple surprise gave way to deep shock in the kunoichi's widening eyes. "R-Really? Then my seal is back? It should have eliminated the venom left in my system already."

No answer. Sakura blinked again, eyed his arm insistently and, seeing as he wasn't following her gaze or anything to acknowledge her earlier inquiry, smiled a little uneasily. She tried to straighten again, thinking maybe Sasuke would help her. His posture stayed as rigid as ever, so she sighed when her muscles wouldn't comply once again. The conclusion that her body was terribly sore to top off her tiredness came reluctantly to her mind –sleeping on the bare ground for three days would do that, naturally. None of it mattered though; now that she was awake and (rather) well with Sasuke at her side, nothing could make her happier. Her smile brightened at this thought, hopefully able to convey her feelings.

A gust of warm wind blew her bangs forward past her cheeks. Sakura mustered the strength to bring up an arm that weighted a ton in order to brush them aside, squeezing her eyes shut with the effort. When she opened them again, Sasuke was crouching in front of her so she could see his face better than before. He looked pale as always, stern –again, nothing out of character- and his charcoal eyes were dark and blank, not meeting hers. Sakura observed in slight awe as he reached for her left hand with his sole remaining one. He gave a hard tug and she gasped, almost falling down. The medic-nin would have complained but he was already working her fingers into the most basic ninja seal with his rough palm. He completed it with his own hand, forming a cross, and a shadow clone appeared in a puff of smoke. With one meaningful, serious look, the clone nodded and dashed towards the trees, vanishing under their foliage as the original stood back up, preparing to turn away from his pink haired companion.

"Hey, wait!" Sakura called in sheer surprise "What was…"

"Can you walk?"

His reply made her freeze by its utter coldness. Like his gaze that was still cast away from her own, Sasuke's tone held no such thing as the slight tinge of worry Sakura would normally have expected or even the littlest trace of an emotion. She might as well have been speaking to a soulless ice-cube. Hence, the frown pulling the corners of her mouth down resulted more from this discovery than from his thoughtless question. "No…" she answered, trying to make her voice equally as void but failing to equal his experience.

Sasuke let out a grunt under his breath, not so annoyed but probably expecting it from his earlier observation –he never missed one detail with those perfect eyes of his. He turned around completely and said before walking to disappear in turn behind the trees "Tell me when you can."

And that was that. For the whole day. The next, she chanced speaking to him upon waking up with aching muscles to ask for some water; the look in his eyes when he carelessly tossed the flask behind his back at her was nothing short of a glare. What was the jerk attitude for? It was as though they were twelve year olds all over again, and even then, Sasuke wouldn't have set eyes on her with such…despising.

Despising? But why? Sakura gave it some thought: Had she done anything wrong? Could she have made things different or prevented what had happened with Orochimaru? No…She had been asleep all the time and before that she had pushed herself to her limits to stay alive, both for Sasuke's sake and hers. And she had succeeded. What else was there to be done?

This question followed her all throughout the subsequent day when Sasuke's clone came back to their improvised camp in the middle of the woods. The Uchiha's questionable actions the other morning were explained at last by the bags and cloaks the clone had managed to retrieve at their former inn. Much like with the water, Sasuke threw Sakura's bag to her, rummaged through his a little, and disappeared in the trees like what seemed to have become customary for him.

Now, the lone man was asleep, sat behind the tree trunk further away from where she lay. Yet another different thing that Sakura had noticed was that Sasuke hardly slept anymore. Topping off the marks darkening day by day under his eyes, he never stayed at their camp to rest and missed meals more often than not. Being stone-faced and outwardly composed all the time probably made him weary, but Sakura ventured a guess that his exhaustion actually came from full nights of keeping watch. She hadn't seen him around the camp at night before then. For all she could guess, he had probably collapsed against that tree.

The mystery called Uchiha Sasuke had become the epicenter of all her thoughts over the past two days. His behavior had proven more than the word 'enigmatic' could describe, and yet, as she lay wide awake with those memories in mind, Sakura still had no clue whatsoever of what might have been the source of this disorder. That is until she heard a sound, that of rapid breathing. Sakura slowly lifted up her heavy body, satisfied at this small victory when she realized she could actually achieve such deed. Once sat, she looked up to the spot from which the sound originated : the tree six meters away on her left. This was when things got complicated. The kunoichi clenched her teeth as she began to crawl towards her companion –the act in itself might as well have involved crossing a desert without water in her poor state, but in time and with much perseverance, Sakura managed to reach the young man's side without being too breathless. Her muscles ached though, as always, but who was she to pay heed when she met the sight of a trembling, panting, sweating Sasuke?

Still clutching onto her flash-light which provided a weak white lighting in the darkness of the night, Sakura took in his form with great shock. He was slumped against the trunk of the tree, had his hand unconsciously clenching the grass and plucking it off the ground, his mouth open with his chin trembling seemingly in an effort to bite on his lip and control his stress; how could she miss his frown and painful expression? Sasuke's breaths became shorter and raspier. Her astonishment was blinked away as medic-nin instincts took their toll on Sakura's petrified nerves.

More rapidly than her body would have liked, she kneeled in front of him and brought her hand to his shoulder, shaking it "Sasuke-kun!" she called. Her movements became more frantic as he wouldn't wake up. She dropped the flashlight to shake both his shoulders, called his name again and again, growing immensely worried under the sound of strangled pants. "Wake up! Please wake up!"

At last he did with a jolt, eyes opening wide and wild. Sakura didn't allow herself to sigh in relief at such feat just yet "Are you okay?" she asked immediately, concerned by his perplexed state.

There was one long minute where he simply stared at her, round-eyed, stunned, probably still under the shock of what his nightmares had showed him. Sakura recalled how he had been in Kiri months ago, so on edge and scared. Although similar on first impression, his current state was not quite that following one of his traumatic visions; or at least it wasn't anymore. Presently, he was studying her in utmost surprise, but apart from that, Sakura could decipher no more. There _was_ something else in those glassy black orbs, she was certain for some reason. All she could see was his eyes; all they could see was her.

The movement came before there was even a change on his features. Sasuke slapped away the hands that were on his shoulders. When Sakura looked back at him aghast, she found his head turned aside and lowered.

"Sasuke-kun, you had a night-"

"Back off."

His words were uttered low, much too low for Sakura to believe them –whether out of incredulity or hurt, she couldn't say for sure. The medic leaned towards him regardless in another attempt "Just let me help…"

A short, bitter huff came in response "You can't. You never could."

The small hand that had been lifting up towards his face froze stiff on its way. Sakura's eyes widened this time, open windows for her affliction and pain to show through; only he wasn't even looking at her, watching the grass instead as though the sight of her were a nuisance. Old feelings of helplessness resurfaced in Sakura's mind. For a moment she felt her heart sink in her tightly knotted chest, and then it burned anew as she shook her head to wave off the thought and spoke decidedly "I can help."

"Tch…" Sasuke stayed silent a moment longer, and Sakura knew she had nothing more to say. Everything was calm around them, from the wind blowing gently in the leaves, the owl singing from afar, the dimness of the night around them safe for the little light of Sakura's flashlight; but then Sasuke glanced back at the pink haired girl with eyes as sharp and deadly as lightning. He stood up. Seeing him begin to stride away, Sakura tried to follow on her wobbly legs with another call of his name.

"It's useless. You're unneeded" he didn't turn to her, didn't shout, but his voice might as well have been a razor blade. However, as Sakura still followed, limping, weak and injured as she was, asking for him to wait, Sasuke whirled around to appear seething, glaring at her "I told you to _back off!_ "

Sakura couldn't move anymore; this was his chance to leap into the trees and vanish, leaving her petrified, alone.

'… _Why?'_ Why was he doing this, saying those things to her, knowing perfectly where to strike to deal the worst damage? She could have been angry, pissed even. She could have argued. Or she could have been shattered, perhaps crying her heart out right now for all those hurtful words he had said – _what help had she been when he had been consumed by the darkness of the Curse of Hatred? He had never really needed her by his side to hold his ground in a battle against the world, had he?_ Thoughts like these could have plagued her and brought her down to her knees by now, especially coming from _his_ mouth -that atrocious mouth she feared would have been the end of her had it spoken anything more.

And it hurt. Gosh it hurt. She couldn't deny such feelings of being burnt and frozen at the same time, but also cut by thousands of shards of ice and blades of lightning –the ones he wielded so expertly. This was familiar, so familiar that it made her feel helpless too, like her little, pitiful, crying child-self.

But despite all this, all the injustice of such treatment, how come was she so very worried about Sasuke right now?

~O~

Two days later, Sakura had finally deemed herself fit to walk so they hit the road again. The only word Sasuke bore to answer –the first since the other night- at Sakura's inquiry of their destination was a curt "Konoha."

The medic was too puzzled at this point to even wonder; she didn't ask anything. But she clearly saw, when her legs gave way under her weight after four hours of painful walking –much less than a normal shinobi would have normally been able to endure- how Sasuke glared and sighed in annoyance. She was annoying, probably.

As he went away once more behind some trees to who knows where and Sakura collapsed onto a nearby fallen down tree trunk, she decided to ponder on this unsettling situation a little more. Sasuke, her teammate, her companion, her love, her 'boyfriend' (could she call him that anymore?) was treating her like the most worthless piece of junk. He was being mean to her for presumably no reason, hurting her on purpose and not even taking care of her in her poor condition. And to think that before he had been there for Sakura at all times, more than ready to protect her to the point of overdoing it sometimes. This Sasuke was a completely different person.

It was true that he did use to act like this in the past. Yes, when they were genin, he would always treat her like a weakling and pay no attention to her whatsoever, only with hindsight, Sakura knew that he had reasons to back then. Now she was not nearly like she had been before, so full of herself and obnoxious, squealing, chasing him around like a fangirl all the time as if she had none of the pride and manners she so often scolded Naruto about... No, Sakura had grown up to be a respectable young woman, a great medic-nin and a good friend, hopefully a good lover. She had the audacity to take herself for what she was and nothing less.

These reflections only intensified her doubts. As she looked up into the bright blue sky of July, her eyes saw memories of her days spent at Sasuke's side like in a vibrant colored screen.

' _I could only accept you.'_

Then why was he rejecting her so now?

' _It's because you're here that I can be…so calm'_

Then why did he only ever snap or glare angrily at her anymore?

' _Sakura…I'm sorry.'_

How many times had he apologized to her when it was normally so rare? Had it all been meaningless for him to start treating her like scum?

And that night, just before she had been kidnapped… She remembered vividly how he had held her like the dearest thing he possessed in this world, the way he had confessed to her, so softly, that she was the only one to have ever earned such deep extents of affection from him, and then how he had kissed her, tenderly, passionately, to better make love to her.

Those words he had almost uttered the following morning… She couldn't have imagined it…

Sakura's heart constricted painfully, as though held by tight ropes of thorny rose stems. She could feel it being crushed like so many times before in an effort to reduce all her love to nothing. It was useless, she knew by now; the only thing it would achieve was making her bleed dry in the form of countless tears. Maybe she was still weak. For him, she always was. He held her heart and played it as he pleased. He always did.

Sakura shook her head. She didn't want this, not again, not anymore! She didn't want the struggle, the tears, the heartache, the endless reasoning with her love-crazed mind that always amounted to nothing. Now it felt slightly different to be broken. Perhaps since she had had a taste of what true, complete happiness felt like, she would have to mourn its loss ten times harder than she had longed for it. Could she really bear with this?

…Could he?

Sakura's head had been hung low, face in her hands as she drowned into those thoughts, but at this latter one, she perked up abruptly and found the sky again. The sting in her eyes disappeared, so did the frown over her eyes; now with new clarity, she asked herself this question again: Could Sasuke, the boy who had craved for love for so long, sought forgiveness from his peers and the world and obtained both at the price of long, painful work, the man who had fought so hard for what he believed was right, what he wanted to protect, could this person simply reject everything all at once? Could he abandon his dreams in a moment's notice? A future with love, a family, recognition and peace; Sakura was pretty sure he had just decided so.

She would have to gather her bearings. She would have to confront those dangerous eyes, those murderous words of his, to fight and _win_.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Hello! I'm sorry it took a while for me to get this chapter out. I hope you can understand that I needed a yearly break on new year's eve. Thanks to this I was able to work on this story a lot more precisely and plan ahead a bit!^^_

 _Ok, now for the info corner:_

 _I did my research on the 'poison extracting technique' and represented it as faithfully as I could in this situation. It says on wikia that you need a particular 'medicinal fluid' for this operation, which is why the use of water was harder for Sakura to top off the rest. Also, to those of you who have seen the latest filler episodes of the anime, I have to say that Sakura's use of this technique on Sasuke was absolutely WRONG. Here I made it possible for her to heal completely thanks to her seal, otherwise she would have needed an antidote._

 _There, that was my ranting!_

 _I hope you liked this chapter. If so, comments on its content are always welcome! :)_


	36. Part 7 - Chapter 35

_**FLY AWAY –Part 7: Daymare**_

 _ **Chapter 35**_

The night took its time to sink in so that the burning colors of the dying daylight in the sky equaled the brightness of the campfire Sasuke had lit earlier. It crackled as it fiercely consumed what wood had been gathered in five minutes by the dark haired shinobi, the only sound to be heard among the trees –an ever present scenery for the past few days as they were in the most forested region of the Fire, a bit less than fifty miles away from Konoha now after almost a week of relentless walking.

Sakura had barely had a chance to talk to her teammate for the past few days –maybe the last- of their trip. He couldn't bear to walk beside her, instead choosing to stay way ahead on the road thanks to which the red and white fan symbolizing the Uchiha clan was pretty much embedded on the kunoichi's retina by now.

She more or less knew what was to come: if she didn't manage to discuss things with him, Sasuke would most likely drop her off in Konoha and depart again for who knows how long before they could settle their problems. Sakura couldn't allow this. But she was running out of options with the way things were going –quite literally since she had tried to chase after the proud Uchiha as they walked, only to have him jump into the trees beside the road to escape her annoying presence.

So of course, expecting Sasuke to come back that night to sleep at their camp would have been way too much to hope for, but he did, and panting slightly with a bloody cut on his cheek at that.

Now better in shape than a few days prior, Sakura left her previous observation of the dancing flames in front of her to stand upright in an instant. His name escaped her lips as per reflex when she noticed all the effort he was putting into concealing the slight limping in his gait as he plodded towards his bag, slumped on the tree a little way beside the stunned kunoichi. She knew what would happen if he reached it.

Sakura skipped next to the bag and planted her feet between him and the needed object, inquiring "Sasuke-kun, what happened?"

Charcoal eyes lit by a bright, blazing firelight narrowed, twice as much hostile as normal. The pink haired girl stayed rooted on her spot regardless, awaiting an answer. There was none besides a low "Tch" when he turned his back to her and was about to walk away, probably uninterested in whatever he had been looking for anymore –though she wouldn't have that and so made a grab for his empty left sleeve. The cloth was wrenched away from her grasp the next second as the young man glared his hardest at her over his shoulder.

"That's enough!" Sakura exclaimed before he could snap at her "You owe me an explanation, Sasuke-kun. And I won't let you go until I have it!"

Clenched teeth and the deep, stern frown apparent on her face didn't seem to impress him in the least, maybe because she had thoughtlessly let the affectionate suffix slip out of her mouth after his name. "I don't have anything to say to you. And I owe you _nothing_ " was his icy cold comeback. He would have turned around again towards the forest had Sakura displayed any of the shock akin to that of the other night, but her serious stare remained as steady as ever, viridian orbs determined.

"I think you do –and don't tell me you don't care what I think 'cause that's just a childish thing to say."The held-back resentment beneath the surface of the kunoichi's voice sounded crystal clear. She was dead-set on her goal, with a rock hard resolve that would be her armor against anything he would throw at her –it was foolish of her to believe so, but without this hope, she knew she had no chance of succeeding.

"Tch. Worthless…"

He was walking away.

" _Wait_."

Something in the kunoichi's tone stopped him; not its power or vehemence –not nearly- but the real intensity of its complete emptiness. The normalcy of her speaking with her very heart on her tongue was gone, replaced by a voice that almost didn't belong to her for how cold Sasuke's ears felt its sound penetrating them like a gust of blizzard's wind; her _stance_ even, as he saw when looking back at her, had become that of an ice queen. Rooted there, on her spot, uptight, arms limp at her sides, head high and gaze straight, fixed on him, Sakura appeared like a cold stranger. But this comparison couldn't have been more far off seeing the fire burning in her emerald orbs, both in reality and inside her whole being. Her pain and bitterness had melded into a much colder fury, one which seemed more than ready to erupt in the inferno of a blazing volcano.

But she didn't plan to let it do so. Sakura was resolute to obtain what she must, and in order to achieve such goal, she would have to bring out her A-game. "Sasuke-kun," Sakura began in that same tone "I want to know what happened." She knew he wasn't going to speak if she stopped there "You've changed ever since we escaped Orochimaru's hideout. Tell me why."

Yet it was so hard to maintain this façade. Would he see through it? Would he make it crumble down? Would he end her once and for all? No, Sakura couldn't afford to risk it! But she knew him; Sasuke was logical, reasoning would prevail where persuasion would only drive him further away. Sakura felt the frown tugging her eyebrows deeper down over her eyes, shadowing them in contrast to the light of the flames brightening her face and hair in their fiery tints. "You've got to tell me why."

Sasuke's eyes had disappeared from view under his bangs while she was speaking, but with her last word uttered, seemingly already bored by her insistent questioning, he lifted the two shiny, black stones back up with something like a contemptuous sneer in them though his tone came out flat "It's your choice to know, then." He was halfway turned to Sakura now in order to watch her reaction better when he spoke his next words in that deep, slow, condescending voice he mostly used on those enemies who earned his utmost loathing "You're weak."

Sakura blinked, her pupils sharpening into the smallest of holes, her eyebrows arching up, tense as she observed him fixedly and drank his every word, feeling them like a hammer hitting her repeatedly to bury her head-deep under the ground. "You know how I despise weakness. I hadn't realized before that you hadn't improved. Now that I see it, I don't want anything to do with you anymore" ruthless, cold statements spoken in this same voice that felt so much like a poisoned blade twisting in Sakura's deep wounds, dripping with abhorrence.

She wasn't moving; and he thought he had done the deal but after about half a minute –a very long time lap that neither realized had really just passed- the kunoichi advanced her foot and, albeit with an almost undistinguishable shakiness, took a step forward without reaching out. Solemnity appeared clearly in her expression still, though what was rendered more obvious by the lessening of her frown was the tinge of confusion in her eyes, a single drop of rain that put out raging flames "I don't understand."

It was undeniably genuine, but also a rod for her own back. "Don't make me repeat myself" Sasuke nearly snarled "You're a burden."

With these last four words alone, Sakura was rendered unable to breathe, for they hit her as a wrecking ball slamming with full force into her body. Although her feet stayed immobile, firmly planted on the earth, she felt herself begin to fall with no ground to hold onto; and slowly, her strength was breaking like the bones that seemed to support her no more, being drained like the blood leaking from an open injury. No, no, this couldn't be right. Her unseeing eyes were still round, straight on him. "You loved me. I'm sure you loved me" she muttered with a small voice she found he had not robbed from her just yet, unable to contain those two sentences of meager comfort within her throat because of the need to have them heard, to give them consistency.

A curt chuckle –more of a contemptuous hum- escaped him at her use of the past tense. "You aren't worth it. You probably never were." It stung. It tore. This was sick. He was toying with her, wasn't he? Did he not know how everything he said sent a kunai into her heart with precise aim? He did, right? Why would he continue otherwise? However, was he aware that she would always get back up, beaten down as she was, until nor pride nor soul were left in her, with only her rotten love for him – a promise for more future torture- subsisting? Sakura knew she was already sinking, but she bit the inside of her cheek, clenched her teeth tighter in a way that she deemed hard to notice as she listened to the blow he though would finish her off. "I may have recognized Naruto's value, but in truth you are too inferior. I couldn't see it before the encounter with Orochimaru."

Her agape mouth shut tight. There, Sakura opened her eyes to see again; and she stopped him. No magic could mend her wounds right now, but these words ringing in her mind had her regaining consciousness in the middle of this nightmare with the will to fight it. Fired up, she took another step forward –steady and strong this once- while he remained motionless a short way before her and she met his cold gaze without fear, merely lingering pain hidden behind deep green "You can't say that!" Charcoal eyes narrowed a little more, defiant. Forsaking the all but shattered composure that was intended to help pull herself together, Sakura bit down on her bottom lip with her clenched fist in front of her heart –not because of overwhelming stress or to give herself courage, for she knew what she had to say, but in a symbol of strength.

"I wasn't weak! Not then! I couldn't be weak against Orochimaru! Not when…" she trailed off, unwilling to finish this thought in her current position. "I didn't _fail!_ " This was what he had to understand. He couldn't accuse her with so little fact to support his arguments. Right now, once and for all, she would prove him that she wasn't _weak_. So Sakura took a deep breath and let the fire light her eyes anew, straightening to look up at this terrible man she loved. "I held on until you arrived. I maintained myself alive –and this was all you were asking from me at the time, wasn't it?" she argued before he could interrupt, knowing he couldn't counter this with a sharp comment. "I _fought_ against that snake. I fought and created a diversion for us to flee by breaking his damn bone when I had no chakra left! Yet you still blame me!?"

Sasuke was about to open his mouth and retort- she wouldn't let him. "For _this whole time_ I have been fighting, Sasuke! I tried to help you! I'm tired of having to constantly prove my worth to you! _I already did!_ " Her voice returned to its icy tone, peremptory "And even when I did show weakness, you accepted me in spite of it. So yes, this is why I don't understand."

Sasuke's stern expression stayed carved onto his features as he observed for one long moment the kunoichi standing there, for the first time truly furious at him. She wasn't desperately crying her heart out, begging him to stay anymore; no, she was scolding him for wanting to leave without a valid reason. It would appear immature or selfish presented as such, but how could it be when Sakura knew who she was and refused to be underestimated anymore? She would never have started this had it solely been a question on her part concerning his reasons to leave her. Sakura truly believed that she had come to know this mystery of a man more in those few months spent by his side than in her whole existence. Hence, she knew that Sasuke hardly ever took any decision on impulse and that he always had well analyzed, pondered reasons behind each act: The Sasuke Uchiha that she knew would not do anything based on a wobbly reasoning.

But he merely sighed again. "Tch, I'm wasting my time with you" was what he muttered before turning his back completely to her.

"You're just a COWARD!" It was a roar this time; eyes squeezed shut in deep ire, the lioness Sakura wouldn't let him go, she wouldn't let herself be beaten without putting up a decent fight. She _despised_ defeat at least as much as he did. "You're being weak running away like that! You really think you can dodge the problem so easily?"

"YOU'RE the one creating a problem when it's all clear!" Sasuke thundered back, glare intense over his shoulder, the rage now filling his voice to the brim. "You're still pitiful like you were back then! There is no problem. You ARE the problem."

"You know perfectly well that it's not true! But if you won't recognize it, I guess there is nothing I could say that would make you change your mind."

Sakura lowered her head a little. With her fury more or less vented out in the seconds of silence that followed, a small, sad smile appeared on her lips for a brief moment. Naruto was right after all. Perhaps because of those ways that had always come naturally to him in dire situations, Sakura had never been able to claim her place in the young Uchiha's heart in the past. Sasuke was a rational person and yet Naruto clearly understood that the only way to get through to him wasn't with words, but _fists_.

Determined, the medic-nin tugged on the black leather of her right glove and set her hand in the position she had been taught all those years ago, back in the academy. "Sasuke. I challenge you."

She noticed that almost imperceptible quirk of his eyebrows, but didn't leave him any more time.

Pushing down on the ground with chakra-enhanced strength enabled Sakura to close the distance between them at light's speed. Her fist was already loaded with chakra for a punch that would show no mercy; because he had had none with his words and she was still bleeding from them, now desperate to let all the pain out.

Upon a speedy recovery, Sasuke dodged –she had expected him to. Sakura continued her assaults without a break under his wary, all-following charcoal gaze. She charged towards him with a left hook. He turned his body to the side instead of side-stepping so that her feint was rendered ineffective and the roundhouse kick she had left in store landed in his guard. The kunoichi wasted no time in jumping back a meter away in fear that he would grab her leg if she maintained her position a second too long.

His glare was of sharp ice spikes, so cold that it stayed strong as ever, unmelting despite the heat of the campfire still burning close by. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"What do you think?" She replied while charging anew. Sasuke wasn't taken aback by her direct attack this time and simply jumped aside –how much longer would he underestimate her like this? Sakura grabbed the empty sleeve flying in the air with his jump, yanked it towards her and landed an upper cut on the Uchiha's jaw which sent him flying a few meters above the ground. Sakura followed; once in the air, she grabbed the back of his shirt and threw the young man to the hard earth. Dust and dirt formed clouds above the soil from the impact, but the air moved again and dispersed them when Sakura landed gracefully on her feet so that she could see Sasuke standing back up. Mouth agape, he was staring at the ground instead of her, but the look in his eyes –still as dark as midnight- was one of pure shock.

' _He thought I wouldn't have the nerve to land a blow on him'_ Sakura observed mentally. Maybe now he would get serious after being beaten up by his 'weak' teammate.

Sakura barely gave him the time to gather his bearings. As soon as he was up on his feet, she yelled "SHAANNAROOO!" (It felt so relieving to vent it all out). Her fist slammed into the earth, breaking it into fragments like glass to create a mini-scale earthquake. Sasuke jumped again to avoid the projections of rocks flying and colliding everywhere- he hadn't seen Sakura doing the same because of his dust-obstructed field of vision. Her fist met his stomach harshly again, but upon smashing down on his back on the ground, he rolled off quickly to the side; a good move considering that the next second Sakura landed with a crash on the spot where he had been. The kunoichi kept attacking relentlessly; a punch on the right, another on the left towards his face –he blocked, jumped over some rocks to step back without tripping- then she switched to her elbow aimed at his ribs and he almost fell when she tried to kick at his ankles. She chained with a high-kick after that, a couple more punches… Her pace was speeding up; she attempted another grab for his sleeve. Sasuke wrenched it away just in time but received a punch on his jaw as counterpart; he evaded the next by tilting his head and the following by somersaulting backwards, though when his feet met the ground a kick was already hitting his gut straight on, making him fall back a few meters.

The dust was only just plummeting down as Sakura observed her work: Sasuke was standing back up once again, panting hard, hand tense on his abs, eyes crimson red this time. Out of breath as she was, the pink haired medic-nin couldn't savor this victory as well as she would have liked to, but this sight gave her a little more confidence. What bugged her however was the fact that Sasuke hadn't tried to attack her even once. If he thought she wasn't worthy enough to fight properly against, she would definitely make him regret it. "So Sasuke," she said, half-sighing but deadly serious, almost reproachful in her tone "do you still think I'm too weak?"

He would fight now. After being provoked like this, there was no way he would just let her beat him up like a punch-bag. Sakura dashed towards him again, ready for a new assault. His body moved more fluidly now to avoid all of her blows without ever receiving damage thanks to the sharingan, but the pink haired girl was far from done. She side-stepped, used his handicapped shoulder for leverage and leaped behind his back. Still holding onto him to prevent his evasion, she aimed a kick at Sasuke's unguarded side.

He caught it. Somehow, he had managed to block it. Glancing down, Sakura caught the faintest trace of purple light vanishing before her leg dropped to the ground. Realizing the mistake she had made in spacing out, the kunoichi stepped back a meter in haste, then prepared to counterattack with a punch towards his head. Sasuke whirled around. Sakura guessed what he would do and withdrew her first fist to attack with the other instead- he caught it despite her efforts and held on tightly.

Sakura clenched her teeth in pain as he handcuffed her wrist in his large hand. What could she do now? Maybe some kicks would work to get her out of this bind… But wait, did Sasuke understand now? This was the whole point after all. Could he see that she was strong enough to stand up to him? Had she finally earned some esteem from him? If not…

"You think it's all simple, don't you?"

Sakura looked up in surprise when Sasuke suddenly spoke. Right then he had sounded…hurt, so very hurt that it made her regret to have attacked him so for a second. But then, panting a bit still, scratches and dirt covering his face and fierce gaze partly hidden behind a deep, dark frown and his bangs, he opened his mouth again to say more darkly "I can't have you. If you're weak, I can't."

Stung by his words, Sakura tried to shake her wrist out of his grip, meeting no success. "Shannaro! What are you talking about!? I was just kicking your ass!"

He tightened his grip even more. This time she yelped but bit her tongue instantly to hide her pain. At this moment she found his eyes; the dark crimson of the sharingan seemed ten times more blood-thirsty with the fire casting dangerous sparks inside them, but mostly because he was glaring at her with all his might, like she alone could make all the hatred left in him converge. "I can't have you."

"Why?" Sakura simply replied.

"I'll do it without you" he said in his seething low voice. Sakura frowned when he flat out ignored her question but didn't interrupt. "The Uchiha clan is cursed. I have to build it back without you, or Konoha." He saw the confusion written in Sakura's eyes. Sasuke yanked her wrist up, stretching her arm and bringing her on her tiptoes -she couldn't counterattack efficiently like this. He spoke in her face "That's why you need to leave me alone!"

Sakura staggered when Sasuke let go of her wrist to push her away. He turned his back to her again. His words didn't seem to make any sense with his previous reasoning. Maybe her doubts were not so unfounded after all, but if she had understood correctly then… "You want to leave Konoha permanently, even after all Naruto did to bring you back?" She asked tentatively, disbelieving.

He remained silent on his spot, more than enough as an answer.

No. No, this wasn't what she had been expecting. This wasn't right. Sakura opened eyes round like saucers in shock. "Sasuke-kun, you can't do that!"

"Watch me."

The weight of his words made her knees shake, nearly buckle –but she held on, she had too. True fear came over her senses "You…You can't be serious!"

"My name is still taboo everywhere I go" he declared, tone solid and void as a rock "You've seen it yourself. I can't bother with weaklings anymore. For my clan's sake."

Sakura was reminded of the snake's words. Logs from the campfire had scattered after the earlier quake but still burned on their own. It was darker around them now. The fire kept eating, ashes and sparks crackling. Neither two were moving. Sakura observed the red and white fan on the man's back, his silhouette as a whole. The fire lit it as plainly as daylight for her; she saw the dirt on the black cloth, the holes and rips everywhere on his sleeves, especially the empty one swaying limply with the hot air from the flames. Then there was this small parcel of his face that she could catch from her spot; the long, unruly midnight bangs, the cut pale cheek, and the tightly clenched jaw made it all the more clear to her: this man was damaged. He was hurt. She simply knew. Yes, it might have seemed stupid to anyone external to their argument who would have seen the strong back of a battle-built warrior before their eyes, but just as evidently Sakura saw the back of someone broken, someone who maybe, if she was still allowed to think of it as possible, wanted to protect those dear to him like he had always tried his best to do.

The sound of gloved hands balling into fists was heard. Sakura directed her determined green gaze at the emblem of this 'cursed clan'. And she took one step "This isn't so much about your clan as you want to think." Another step "You value Naruto's friendship so don't lie saying you don't care about it. You wouldn't leave the village after all he did for you. That's your sense of honor."

"Tch" the raven haired shinobi let out disdainfully, quite obviously more than annoyed at this point "And what do you know about all that?"

"I know _you_!" Sakura retorted louder than intended. "When you, Sasuke Uchiha, love something you hold on to it to the very end, and even if you actually don't love me anymore, I can't believe you'd just throw Naruto away without a reason because, truly, you don't think of him as a weakling!" One last step. Sasuke still wasn't moving so she took the chance to seize his shoulder and turn him around so he would face her when she yelled, bursting "If you really can't stand weakness, then man up and tell me the truth instead of running away, knucklehead!"

Sasuke's tiny pupils bulged in his eyes. From the deep onyx they had previously reverted to, they changed into dark red and purple in a flash, shining in the dark with a light far more blazing than that of the mere flames on the side. His teeth were clenched, apparent in the enraged scowl his expression displayed along with the creases around his eyebrows. "SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW IT ALL, HUH!?" he bellowed, exploding after his patience had ran to its limits and beyond.

Sakura cringed in the slightest, struggling in spite of the shivers his voice sent down her spine not to let the slightest trace of fear appear on her face. The Uchiha continued slightly lower but boiling all the same "You want to know the truth? I'll tell you." He pointed an accusing finger at the blood still drying on his cut cheek "You've been questioning me about it. _This_ is a souvenir from a fight against Orochimaru's underlings."

Sakura stared aghast, unable to form a word with her mouth agape in the shape of an 'o'; but Sasuke continued "You're here telling me I'm weak when I've been repelling those guys all this time! And I'll tell you what, you may be right about Naruto, but this is all your fault."

A gasp escaped Sakura's lips. How? How could it be her fault that he was dead set on leaving the village again? What had she done? What had she not done? Why was he placing the blame on her?

The kunoichi clenched her teeth before talking back at last "Are you going to explain or what!?"

"Why bother!? You can't even see half of what those eyes have seen!" He hollered back, uncovering the rinnegan behind his bangs with the abrupt movement of his head. "You can't see anything!"

"So that's what you think? You won't even-" Sakura was about to yell something more in response, thinking how this discussion was going nowhere at all despite her willpower, but her eyes widened and she had to stop mid-sentence when Sasuke suddenly groaned, face screwed up in pain. She had noticed how he had grabbed his belly earlier but had dismissed it in the midst of their fight; now she could only observe the dark red tinting his palm when he retrieved his hand from said spot.

Sasuke pushed her away when she stormed to his side, glowing green palms ready "Back off, damn it!" His teeth clenched harder. Sakura let him through to his bag resting against a tree as he fished out a roll of bandages –knowing perfectly well that _she_ had two rolls of better quality ones in her back pouch. She watched as he held up the hem of his shirt with his teeth, baring a large, red, open slash pouring out blood onto his abs –Sakura had probably opened it up again during their fight; she winced at the thought. Sasuke somehow managed to bandage himself up with only one hand but unsurprisingly, his best attempts amounted to nothing as red soon stained the white bands.

He cursed, one eye closed from the pain. Because of this poor state of his, Sasuke didn't detect Sakura's presence behind him in time to prevent her from seizing his shoulders. Crooked, exhausted and sore as he was, Sakura had little heart to rough him up some more though it was her only option in such situation; she pushed him against the large oak and, two kunai already in hand, pinned his shirt to the trunk. The Uchiha let out a growl, just about to tear the cloth and break free as Sakura started working on his wound.

"Move" he all but ordered, voice seething low.

Her body was close, mere inches away from his own to prevent his escape. She stayed focused on her task and replied without looking up "No."

"Sakura" He uttered her name for the first time in days, although not nearly with the same tenderness as before. Cold, harsh and ruthless as it was, she still blinked in slight surprise instead of fear. But he continued louder despite their proximity, raging, on the verge of roaring "Get away from me now or you'll regret it!"

A short silence. Then a gasp.

Sakura opened wide green eyes.

Most unpredictably, it clicked. He had just dropped the most obvious clue she could have wished for and yet she hardly believed she had managed to pick it up –could it be called subtle or was it simply his inner voice trying to reach out to her in spite of his mind's liking? Yes, all along she had been right. She wasn't weak, she wasn't stupid, a deluded lover or at fault; Sakura had figured it all out.

The pink haired girl stepped back just a little; she didn't pin him off because he did it himself and threw the blades to the ground angrily. At the brief instant when his now black gaze met her green one, she captured it –hers was an open window, shining with a light so pure that it contrasted strikingly with the wrath still present in his.

Sakura knew this man. And because she didn't want him to make a misguided decision but was certain that a blunt declaration of love wouldn't bring him back to the right path, she chose to bare this quarrel of all lies.

"Sasuke-kun, now I understand" the girl began, calm even under his glowering –slightly disbelieving- stare. "What you've always tried to do in your life is become strong to protect those you care for. You came to the point where you would even sacrifice yourself for a cause you believe is just." Sakura lifted gentle but serious eyes to his wild ones, speaking with the honesty and cleanness of crystal clear water "But you have the right to be happy too."

He twitched for the shortest of seconds before frowning deeper "What are talking about? This-"

"It has something to do with it!" Sakura interrupted, her gloved hand traveling to her heart of its own accord "Right now, what you're doing…I understand why you want to stay alone but I don't think it's the right decision." The kunoichi summoned up all her courage to speak out before he could prevent her "You can't live a life of pain! You know what loneliness is like better than most people, so no matter what reason you may give, I won't let you do it!"

"This choice is not yours to make."

Sakura didn't waste any time to retort "Yes, it is! Because…" but then her voice trailed off only for a minute during which she took a deep breath, tightened the fist held to her heart and prepared her voice to declare "Your name. I want it."

To say that he was taken aback would be an understatement. Sasuke stared at his teammate as though she had just admitted to being the reincarnation of Kaguya Otsutsuki, but with something more than disbelief to it, something like _fear_.

Now extremely red in the face, Sakura tried to continue steadily but found the emotion was too much to not let it sound through her voice at least a little "I don't care if the Uchiha clan is cursed or whatever, you and I can change that!" She squeezed her eyes shut for a second –her last effort before the finish line that would determine her victory or defeat "I won't be hurt so easily so let them try if they want! And even then I don't care if it's painful! I'll be strong, like I trained so hard to be…for us. And then you won't have to be alone! I promise-!"

" _You CAN'T promise_!"

And right then, what she found in his voice was true fear, the one he had experienced when noticing her disappearance, when imagining the worst scenarios of her death during the excruciating hours it had taken him to reach Orochimaru's hideout, when killing blindly in search of her in those dark hallways, when finding her covered in blood with the snake's blade on her neck, when holding her that night, her practically _lifeless_ body.

"I…I can't but…" Sakura mustered as a whisper. She lifted her head up, giving him a look that could only be hopeful "…we'll find a way."

Her last sentence was more of question than the determined statement she had wanted to express. Would he let her try? Would he give them a chance? Would he turn his back to her, to the love he had found in her heart and in Konoha to instead walk a lonely path his whole life? Sakura didn't want to contemplate this latter possibility. She couldn't bear to, for this would mean an existence where neither of them would be able to find the happiness they had sought so relentlessly all those years. Even with this painful thought in mind, Sakura wouldn't let her eyes close and escape the reality of the situation. She kept them half open under a frown as she bit down on her bottom lip and lowered her head under the weight of silence.

A step forward, a little heavy because of sore limbs; all the rage directed at the girl who wouldn't let herself be protected was gone from his voice when Sasuke spoke low, blank safe for a tinge of longing "…Am I allowed…to believe you?"

The smallest, shortest, bitter laugh left her lips, almost a sigh "What do you think?" She murmured dejectedly. Maybe he was right. Maybe she wouldn't be able to give him the happiness he was looking for. What could she say to her defense now…?

Another step; and the weak Sasuke fell into her arms. Sakura let out a small gasp, not expecting it at first, and then her lips wouldn't close. She found the night air coming into her mouth through this small 'o' was the only thing left of reality around her as the scent of ashes, leaves and earth belonging to the man she loved captured her senses. Sasuke was there, so close to her, his hand the only one left to hold her in place when her knees were about to give out. His fingers were in her hair –like he always liked- they brought her head closer to his which rested bowed against her shoulder. His face found the crook of her neck to drink in the feeling of her skin that he had missed. When she suddenly emitted a sound of pure relief and gave in to his touch, her hands traveling in turn to his back, then his shoulders, Sasuke's warm charcoal eyes shut tight. With Sakura already tracing soothing circles on his back, he found there was no point in holding back the tears anymore. So he let them fall, silent, one after the other down his cheeks, his nose and onto her collar bone. Perhaps it was shameful of an Uchiha but this thought didn't even pass by his mind as he was finally able to let all the feelings he had bottled up inside go: the frustration, the anguish, the despair, the pain, the excruciating agony. All Sasuke could feel now was Sakura's body against his and it would be in vain to pretend that this, her _love_ wasn't all he had craved for.

There were more tears slowly falling down his temple that weren't his own, so Sasuke figured he had scared Sakura quite a bit –it was only normal, after all the violent acts, all the sharp words he had cut her with… Asking for forgiveness seemed a selfish thing to do, but right now he couldn't help holding her tighter and threading his fingers through her messy pink hair. This woman's unwavering trust and loyalty had earned something so deep and true from Sasuke, something so unbreakable that he had to let her know of right now.

That was when he whispered _it._ "I love you."

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Heeeeeey! ...Please don't hurt me...! Before you murder me, I have to say to my defense that this chapter is suuuuuper long (6,533 words)!_

 _Okay, now is time for me to explain. You must be bored to see all authors say this, but yes, I have been busy. I have a lot of work to do for school lately and exams to prepare for..._ _The only solution I found is to slow down my publication pace a little, which is why I will start posting a chapter every two weeks from now on. I hope you guys won't mind too much and will keep enjoying the story nonetheless!_

 _About that, thanks very much to eliimg for her/his (?) support on this topic!_

 _~Now, about this chapter~_

 _I had a lot of fun watching Naruto Storm 4 videos on Sakura's moveset to write her fight against Sasuke (yes, I admit, I always wanted to see these two spar seriously!). Although it's almost unnoticeable, I also added a Final Fantasy 7 reference when Sakura threw him on the ground. In the movie Advent Children (which is sooooo beautiful) Tifa (who is sooooooo beautiful) also did this in her battle against Loz. COOKIES to anyone who actually saw this!^^_

 _I will also answer the guest review saying that Sasuke would have normally sent Orochimaru straight to Hell in a moments notice. The keyword here is 'normally':_ _Sasuke was in a bad position against Orochimaru since the sannin held Sakura hostage. It was precisely because he knew that it would be hardly possible to win against his former pupil that Orochimaru chose this tactic. Since you're asking about their escape, it just reflects how desperate Sasuke was that he didn't even think about the most accurate plan and simply got them both out of there. Besides, the fight with Momoshiki was way after that, although we can argue about when exactly Sasuke's prime was..._

 _Anyway, tune in again in two weeks (tell me what you thought until then ;) )~_


	37. Homecoming - Chapter 36

_**FLY AWAY –Homecoming**_

 _ **Chapter 36**_

It felt too good to be entangled in each other's arms again, something they believed was never to happen again; to never be warm, secure or home again… So it wasn't wrong to stay like this a little too long, to refuse waking up from this gentle dream…By morning, the two shinobis couldn't find it in themselves to move and therefore only reached their destination by nighttime. The large red painting of 'A-N' on the entrance doors of Konoha greeted Sasuke and Sakura under the moon and stars they couldn't quite see because of the streetlamps lighting the way to the village.

Sasuke felt a small hand squeezing his own in this instant. He glanced at Sakura beside him, seeing her beautiful as ever under such light –the blue of the night and the yellow from the village forward- her gaze downcast but a little grin on her lips "Come on" she said, voice light-hearted to cover up nervousness. Nervousness? Wouldn't she normally be excited to come home to her friends and family? Sasuke waved it off and pressed on silently as always.

There was no hesitance in him when, after going just past the doors, he let go of her hand and continued walking beside her, eyes fixed straight ahead. Sakura couldn't say she hadn't expected it, especially when she recognized the familiar faces of two men in the guard stand behind the entrance, one with a large bandana over his head, the other with a bandage on his nose: Izumo and Kotetsu. Knowing with the round eyed stares she and her companion earned from them that there was hardly any chance of their arrival going unnoticed anymore, Sakura gave a small wave in their direction; Sasuke didn't even cast them a second glance.

It was weird for silence to push them forward like this, deeper into their home-village. Sasuke felt the breeze tickling his locks and brushing them onto his cheeks as they walked. Soon they would reach the center of town.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun…"The pink haired girl at his side captured his attention with her soft tone. Looking up, Sakura flashed another smile, slightly blushing at what she was going to say "Do you want to stay at my place?"

Sasuke remained stone faced, observant of her reddening cheeks. Sakura lifted a hand close to her face embarrassedly, her giggles sounding a little awkward "This way we wouldn't have to walk by Ichiraku and, you know, at this time Naruto…"

"Hn" he nodded curtly. One last night alone together, just once more.

The raven haired young man barely noticed the whispers and looks the passersby in the streets gave them. And then he was in front of Sakura's building: a white, four story place with stairs on the outside to reach the apartments lined up next to each other on every floor. It was a brand new structure, hardly inhabited yet; or at least it had been the case when Sakura moved in some months ago. Now however, there was yellow light coming from a couple more windows than before. They climbed up two sets of stairs, counted the seconds with each step; then Sakura opened the door and invited him inside. She preceded him only a little in dropping her bag and cloak on the couch before the two of them made their way to her bedroom in an unspoken, common agreement. The kunoichi hadn't bothered to switch on the lights so it was still a little dark in the room safe for what little moonlight filtered through the window; a bit cold too, but that was settled when she put her hands on Sasuke's shoulders, pulling him to her in a slow, passionate kiss while guiding them both from the door up to the bed where she let him fall on top of her.

Was it alright to respond so eagerly to her kiss? To let her run her warm hands over his body like this? Sasuke wasn't stupid, he hadn't been entirely clueless when she had asked him to stay with her that night. But would this be okay in the morning? Could he afford to drown in passion only one more time? Though this woman with her soft body under his, her lips playing on his neck and her love ready for him to take; the urge to embrace her and make love to her at least once again in spite of any better sense was scorching in his blood, impossible to ignore. Delicately placing her head on a pillow and ravishing her lips again after they had broken apart for air, he did just that: He took all she had to give selfishly, drank in the sound of her voice, her sweet whispers of love in his ear as she held him close with her two arms. Sasuke surrendered to this feeling of intense well-being burning up inside him, completely subdued when the rapid beating of a hot, welcoming heart met his ears as Sakura hugged his face to her body. This moment should have lasted forever.

~O~

Sasuke woke up alone in this bed finding pink covers messed up on the side his lover had occupied the previous night. A pause. He closed his eyes for a second more, breathing in the scent of trees, strawberry and sweat Sakura had left on the sheets last night.

Could he do this? Could he find the strength?

A frown was already over his eyes when he opened them, coal orbs reflecting a sort of hazy determination set on the wall opposite the bed as he sat up and scanned the room; part of their clothing was still on the floor in a mess, except for his shirt apparently. This wasn't part of the plan, but regardless, Sasuke pulled himself up from the bed, careful not to trip over the bundles of cloth on the floor as he was still a little less then alert after such a long night. The young man made for the door in a slow pace. He grabbed his boxers and pants absent-mindedly, running his hand through his unruly black locks afterwards but stopping at the threshold of the bedroom when he heard a voice, faint from a distance. It was probably Sakura, up before him –no, definitely not planned, though he couldn't help hating himself for being glad.

The shirtless, sleepy Uchiha walked out of the room and into the corridor lazily. The humming sound became a little louder and he discovered upon reaching the living room that it was indeed Sakura, seated on a high stool behind the counter that delimited the entrance to the kitchen, humming a tune. Before her were a discarded bowl of cereal, an open bottle of milk with its stopper beside it and a piece of torn, dirty black cloth Sasuke easily recognized as his missing shirt.

He stood still at the end of the hallway for a moment, beholding his teammate as he found his time running shorter and shorter: Her hair spiking up in her face despite her best efforts to tuck locks behind her ear, her viridian eyes and her focused, yet relaxed expression, the too large white t-shirt that she wore covering the tight black shorts underneath almost completely… She was absolutely and astonishingly perfect. And seeing her there when he woke up, like it was the most natural of things…

Sakura suddenly looked up from her work, her long lashes, tickling her cheeks lightly. Sparkly viridian eyes blinked and rounded in surprise "Ah? Sasuke-kun, good morning!" A beaming smile on her candy pink lips instantly lit her face with joy as she stood and strode to his side. Once right in front of Sasuke, she simply stared brightly up at him for a moment, probably expecting a greeting that he couldn't afford to return. But then she jumped a little when she noticed a peculiar detail. Her fingers went up to the slightly loosened bands around the stump of his left arm and, careful as a surgeon, she tied them back properly then smiled at her completed work. "Oh," Sakura blinked once more, suddenly tugging at the Uchiha-crested T-shirt that made a tunic on her body "I borrowed this from your bag since I didn't want to wake you up –my wardrobe door creaks, you see- I hope you don't mind?"

' _She could have taken her own clothes on the floor or in her bag'_ –despite this knowledge Sasuke shook his head slowly before brushing past her towards the counter she had abandoned. He pulled a stool to sit in front of her while Sakura hurriedly asked what he would like for breakfast. "Coffee."

"Alright…" He observed as she walked from one cupboard to another, scolded herself for forgetting which was the right one and then struggled to reach for a needed item. No fold on the proud red and white fan on her back, crease of her thin eyebrows, biting of her bottom lip, or low growl escaped his eyes. He memorized everything.

Before Sasuke knew it, a steaming, warm cup of coffee was placed before him. "Here. You don't want sugar, do you?" Sakura asked to be sure. No, he had all he could ever wish for in front of him.

As he sipped his drink and the kunoichi resumed her previous activity, Sasuke realized that she was actually equipped with a needle and black thread to repair his beaten down shirt. He watched her precise movements with evident surprise but said in the most casual of tones "I could have bought another."

"Hmm hmm…" Sakura responded quietly, shaking her head lightly while a smile rose again on her lips "I kinda like this one. It suits you well."

Sasuke let a breath escape his nostrils as his mouth stayed closed. If she said so…why did it have to feel so nice? This all just felt …right. The exact reason why it was wrong.

He carried on looking at her every move, simply relishing in the peace of the moment. It was silent around them safe for the noise down in the street, faintly sounding through the open window of the kitchen. There was muted chatter, some birds in a tree nearby, the wind dancing among the leaves the village was named after… It seemed like it had taken no time at all for Sakura to finish her work. She insisted that she should wash the shirt before he took it back and stood to accomplish said task, but Sasuke stopped her, not even standing from his stool when he grabbed her wrist. Sakura turned. Then he pulled her face down and kissed her fervently.

The kunoichi almost pushed him away out of shock. She mustered a sound of utter surprise against his lips before he pushed harder, moved faster, poured even greater amounts of passion in the kiss; and eventually she gave in. He had to do this. Just once more and it would be fine, only once more, one more kiss…

All too soon he had to pull away. Not for lack of air, but lack of remaining sanity; it was a last grip on his senses that brought Sasuke out of dreamland this time so he could stare instead at Sakura's befuddled emerald gaze, reddened cheeks and open mouth, a mouth he so longed to kiss again for how it felt rose petal-soft and perfect against his. Somehow, his hold on her wrist tightened.

"Sa-"

Only the first syllable of his name left the girl's lips –he was glad, for he could only fear that she had seen the truth in the adoring iciness of his eyes. Some noise came from outside much louder than before. Only the last couple of pachyderm-like footsteps on the landing of the apartment could inform the two shinobis of the impending cataclysm about to befall them before the door swung open and loudly crashed into the wall it was –barely anymore- attached to. BONG; Naruto Uzumaki had just entered, breathless but standing straight and eyes filled with sparks of joy at what he expected to see: Sakura standing there ready to greet him. Mouth wide open and about to speak, the boisterous blond froze in a millisecond when he truly registered that not only his so-loved, sister-like teammate was there, but also his eternal best friend and rival. Worse yet: the former was barely decent wearing the Uchiha crest on her back and the latter shirtless in her innocent company. A pink blush crept onto his whiskered cheeks, though nothing like the deep red of the Hyuuga girl behind him who tempted him to gasp in a similar fashion to what she had just done.

"S-Sakura-chan!..." Naruto let out feebly instead. The look of pure horror and mortification the pink haired girl cast him was tell-tale of his fate, and so to prevent a premature death, his girlfriend chose to speak in spite of any embarrassment.

"Y-you can meet us at Ichiraku!...We'll be waiting!" and the door shut behind her and Naruto.

A minute later after Sasuke was given back his shirt and Sakura had grabbed a red top in her wardrobe along with some blue, jean, knee-length shorts fitted for the heat outside, they departed towards the ramen restaurant. Once there, Naruto greeted his two teammates, waving with ample movements of both his arms and a loud "Heeeey!" while his girlfriend smiled kindly from the stool at his side in front of the bar. Sakura happily trotted to join them with a grin of her own and eagerly sat beside Naruto, Sasuke joining her on the left.

"It's nice to see you again, Sakura-san, Sasuke-san" Greeted Hinata in the gentlest of tones. Naruto on the other hand, upon glancing at his rival behind Sakura's smiling pink head, was rapidly reminded of the earlier events of the morning. He was more or less back to normal now after what he had just witnessed –nothing really, although whenever Sasuke was involved, the slightest thing had its effect multiplied by ten. He still had to make the best out of the situation:

"Yeah!" the jinchuriki chuckled, baring white teeth before straightening to send a mock disapproving look at Sasuke "Though you shouldn't come visit Sakura-chan in the morning like that, Sasuke. People will get the wrong idea!" The wink he added had the raven haired shinobi growling and frowning a little harder; though not because this silly comment had hurt his pride, but more because he couldn't really tell if his friend had any knowledge of what his being shirtless in Sakura's living room while she was wearing his clan's crest on her back actually meant.

Sakura didn't miss the chance to punch the blond's shoulder a little bit harder than in a friendly manner, to which he let out a loud "ouuuuuuch!" and had to rub the aching spot. Satisfied, she put a finger on her lower lip, smirking at Naruto "You remember you were supposed to treat us, right?"

"Err… yeah!" He jumped at this sudden, merciless reminder. The hand on his shoulder returned to the back of his neck "Yeah, yeah, of course I remember…" Naruto laughed awkwardly. He had to find a diversion; ordering his favorite dish seemed like a good option.

Nothing extraordinary occurred as they talked idly for a while, only it was hard not to notice Naruto and Hinata's eyes wandering towards their two companions at times when Sakura would offer to separate Sasuke's chopsticks for him or when he would let his gaze linger on her and she would blush because of how embarrassing it was for him to watch her eat. The topic of Sasuke and Sakura's travels was of course tackled but answers stayed evasive – _"How was it out there?",_ _"Where did you go?"_ and _"Did you meet nice people?"_ were easily dodged with what they could say without going into too much detail. However, questions _like "Why did you suddenly come back?"_ or _"How on earth did Sasuke lose his left arm_ _ **again**_ _"_ left cold silence to fill the blank in the conversation.

"We met rogue-nins" answered Sasuke blankly, eyes fixed on his half-empty bowl of ramen "I miscalculated."

Naruto nodded mechanically while still munching on his noodles "Old Tsunade's gonna kill you, you know." He lifted his bandaged arm up for display "These are the first Hokage's regenerating cells-ttebayo!"

"Hn."

Sakura kept staring at the counter through this small exchange, silently hoping that this excuse would be enough to cover up the truth of their encounter with Orochimaru. She kept in a sigh of relief when Naruto changed the subject to that of his last mission with team ten in Iwagakure.

"T'was a simple mission, way too boring. I wonder why they even asked jounins on it –you know, Shikamaru and me" he explained, never missing an occasion to boast about his proudly acquired rank. "When we got there we even had free time so Ino dragged us to go shopping…A real nightmare. Err- I mean-! It was nothing like when we went together, Hinata! I liked it with you, believe it!" Naruto caught on his blunder and waved his hands before his face for emphasis to convince his stunned girlfriend of his honesty.

But Sakura had looked up at the mention of her childhood friend. She still had to go see her! And her parents, and Tsunade and her other friends too! The pink haired kunoichi stood abruptly, earning her three companions' attention. Pushing her empty bowl of ramen on the counter, she turned to Naruto and Hinata "I'm sorry! I just remembered that I still haven't seen Tsunade-sama and she'll be mad if I don't go talk to her! Not to mention my parents and Ino… Can we…?"

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled in understanding "We'll schedule group training again, you know? Like we said we would!"

Sakura nodded with a grin. This boy really had a heart of gold. Then she turned towards Sasuke who had merely tilted his head a little to give her a sidelong glance. "I'll see you later" she promised, tone light, free of any doubt that this would indeed happen.

He averted his dark gaze when she passed by him and let her fingers brush against his arm. He refused to look at her again as she waved.

"Sooooo…" Naruto's sneer was apparent in his voice and the impish glint in his eyes. What was to come was no wonder to Sasuke who knew his friend like the back of his hand. Despite all appearances or inquiries of how he had picked up such trait, Naruto could be a true gossip lover when he wanted to.

"Say, Sasuke, you get along better than ever with Sakura-chan, don't you, lucky bastard?"

There it was. Sasuke closed his eyes in an effort to keep all negative thoughts at bay. It wouldn't usually have been so hard when this moron of a best friend was involved instead of when it came to Sakura. But now…he hadn't even watched her leave…

No. He couldn't allow himself to think of her.

The creaking sound of another stool being pushed was heard and Naruto turned to see Hinata standing up, pink in the cheeks and smiling uneasily at him "I have to go. I promised to help Hanabi pick some kunai today. Can we meet up afterwards, Naruto-kun?"

"Ah, err… sure! But…" The poor blond's face let on how difficult it was for him to puzzle out why she was suddenly leaving. Perhaps he hadn't seen what she could: the Uchiha's tense jaw or his deep scowl hidden behind long raven bangs. Maybe Naruto had been blinded by the happiness of seeing his dear friends again and had not noticed his rival's peculiar demeanor yet –because however short-spoken or stone-faced Sasuke always was, he didn't usually appear so outwardly upset in public- but a wielder of the all-seeing Byakugan would be put to shame not to realize it.

So the pearl eyed girl took his hand and gave it a squeeze. Her sweet smile sent warmth to Naruto's cheeks "Bye" and she left him alone with Sasuke.

Luckily for Naruto, their meal ended up being on the house when Teuchi saw how distressed his favorite customer seemed as he turned the pockets of his pants upside down. He and Sasuke departed shortly after Hinata towards the training grounds upon the latter's suggestion of a friendly spar.

"You're sure?" The jinchuriki faked concern, elbowing his friend repeatedly on the side "You, know, since you only have one arm…"

Sasuke had a movement of angry recoil as he pressed on. Naruto misinterpreted it as the Uchiha's irritation at the overused joke. "C'mon, I'm just trying to be nice! I won't hold back, you know!"

No response. Strange, Sasuke would have normally shot back an annoyed _"shut up, dobe"_ at that. Naruto arched an eyebrow, seizing his chin with his hand and observing his rival thoroughly this time. He noted the rigid posture and the tense fist barely moving at his side as he walked, the burning black glare fixed on the road ahead, also the absence of the signature katana usually sheathed on his back –why would Sasuke want to train without his trusted weapon? Yup, definitely strange.

There was no one on the path anymore since they had gotten farther away from the center, so Naruto deemed it safe enough to ask and expect an answer. "Hey, teme" he stopped in his tracks as they were just reaching the bridge leading to the forested area of the training grounds. "Something's up?" he inquired, voice serious.

Sasuke froze in turn like he had been expecting this from the start. He didn't turn around but Naruto knew he would speak eventually. "Yes."

A frown fell over the blond's bubble blue eyes as he pouted in annoyance. Great. At least, having Sasuke admitting this was already a _huge_ progress –which again proved that something was terribly off, otherwise the proud Uchiha would have kept up his stone façade. "Okay…" Naruto sighed, setting an arm on his hip "Can you elaborate a little more or will it hurt your tongue too much?"

Sasuke didn't even react. Now the jinchuriki was more than a bit scared. Naruto made his way to his almost-brother in two strides and reached out for his shoulder; he merely succeeded in catching Sasuke's sideway stare, not even turning him around. Regardless, Naruto spoke with the same seriousness as when he had sworn to bring his best friend back to Konoha all those years ago "Tell me what's wrong."

Sasuke averted his eyes again to direct them to the planks of the bridge at his feet. His lips were locked together in a tight line for a long, heavy moment during which neither of them two moved or spoke. The manufactured wood captured their stilled feet as in a Mokuton technique, their breath mingled with the wind sounding in the trees before them until at last, Sasuke uttered low, deep "I trust you, Naruto."

The blond opened rounder eyes. Why such recognition, that of valuing his presence, his unconditional support, his friendship, his brotherhood, and of recognizing his strength and importance? Why now, after coming back to the village together with Sakura? This situation took on a whole new weight as Naruto waited, almost on edge already, for what was to come.

"I need you to do something for me" Sasuke said, earnest and grave "It's the last thing I'll ever ask you."

"Man, you're scaring me" Naruto let out the overwhelming thought. Knowing Sasuke, this wasn't likely to be a joke. However, seeing how this conversation was headed, the blond hoped more and more every passing minute that it was.

Sasuke turned completely at last, staring his teammate in the eyes with his flaring, mismatched, empty ones. Naruto saw only black for a second before the Kyuubi within opened his eyes to the real world and Sasuke was staring back at him again. More of a shocked frown than a glare took over Naruto's expression, disbelieving _'Genjutsu!?'_

The look on Sasuke's face told the jinchuriki he had never expected this foolish plan to work; if anything, it simply amplified the weighting seriousness of his next words "Tell Sakura I attacked you."

Naruto's jaw dropped open then, but Sasuke continued speaking "Prevent her from coming after me. She **must not** go out of the village anymore."

"Wait, what?" Naruto stared incredulously "You're kidding me, teme!"

The Uchiha's eyes proved else. But he still stood there, awaiting whatever move of protest Naruto would undoubtedly make.

"You bastard!" the blond ninja yelled, fists clenched, vein popping on his temple, though he remained tensely immobile on his spot.

"I failed" Sasuke admitted in a tone that should have been dejected. "I can't protect her well enough." And it was true. Heavens knew he had tried. In spite of all better warnings from the claws and fangs in the depths of his soul he had tried, but failed. The most miserable disappointment in his life would have been his choice to selfishly let the pure Haruno Sakura know of his love for her, for it was a sinful one, one that would stain and scar her until every last petal of the beautiful flower that she was would wilt and die; and die she would if he ever let his name become attached to hers, Orochimaru couldn't have made it clearer. Although she had given him everything, hopes to hold onto with all his strength, it wasn't enough. It would never be enough to ensure her safety. Never could this promise be made.

How could he risk being foolish when the person he valued most on this earth, the one he would willingly give up pride, homeland and friendship for, was at stake? The thought of the umpteenth bleeding wound his departure would inflict her them made him sick, strangled by self-loathing. But he had already done his best to make Sakura hate him without any success. She chose the hard way; she always did, he should have expected as much. His parting gift would be the knowledge that his love belonged to her and no one else. But regardless of this atrocious, inextinguishable flame ravaging him inside out and whose intensity could not help but increase with the passing of time, he would live on away from her, miserable, though knowing she was safe, untainted, alive. He would raise his clan anew, with an heir but no woman at his side, because no one would ever make up for her absence.

He had to leave.

But Naruto was staring at Sasuke with utmost fury. There was no understanding on his face this time, only despising; and the young Uchiha had to be shocked by this, even though he hadn't ever dreamed that his only true friend would accept his request so easily. Still, Naruto seemed determined not to vent out any of his emotions –yet- no snarl, no punch; nothing but this penetrating glare let on what was really transpiring in his mind.

Then the blond ninja's mouth opened, quivering like a leaf in rage. "Sasuke" a heavy word weighting a hundred pounds left his lips. "Tell me, what happened when you were out there with Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke maintained his gaze steady, impassive, though his voice let out the smallest of feelings "I fell for her."

Naruto blinked in surprise at this acknowledgement only to frown harder when he opened his eyes anew "And you really think this is the best thing to do? Now, when she's on cloud nine being with you?" He had seen Sakura this morning at Ichiraku. There was no doubt in these words.

"Orochimaru has set his sights on her" Sasuke looked at the ground for the shortest second while his fist tightened at his side to the point where the muscles of his arm stung in warning. "I almost lost her."

"Why you!-" Naruto almost lunged at him before calling himself back to order. The slightest hostile gesture would have Sasuke disappearing forever, his rinnegan was ready for that.

"She tried to convince me to stay but I can't risk it." Sasuke closed his eyes, desperate to hide all of his pain under this mask of duty and blankness. "I can't let her put her life on the line anymore…" He didn't want this. He wanted Sakura. He wanted to live by her side. He wanted peace, Konoha, Naruto, but could have none of it, ever. Those dreams had always been deeply fractured from the start and he had been blind to see it until the frail glass had shattered before his very eyes. Now all he could do was choose a wrong to prevent a worse. How foolish of him to have believed that he could start anew after the war and fight for a future he wouldn't be forced into! He could never be like Naruto. He could never have what he wanted. Expression screwed up in pain, Sasuke let out "Protect her."

Naruto was too fast for him. He grabbed the collar of his shirt and punched him hard in the jaw. Sasuke had barely the time to weakly open his eyes before the jinchuriki started hollering in his face. "You _damn_ well deserve it, you asshole!" Naruto raised his free fist but thought better before hitting his rival again "You almost make me wanna laugh, bastard! Know what? I'm not even angry that you let that snake freak attack Sakura-chan!" the fist trembled above his head as he held Sasuke's collar tighter. "You're just such a fucking _coward!"_

The same words as Sakura's; they resounded in synch in Sasuke's mind. Naruto punched him again. It wasn't over. "You want to protect her? Do it yourself then! I can't believe you have the nerve to say you love her!"

Maybe in pure foolishness or overload of despair, Sasuke verbally protested this time " _You don't understand a thing_ , dammit! Leaving her will be _protecting_ her! That's the only thing I can do! Just let me make things right for once in my life, Naruto!"

The blond grabbed the collar of Sasuke's shirt with his two hands this time and pulled until their noses were squashed together. "Don't you DARE say I don't understand when I have a fucking _**fiancée**_!" he bellowed "I'm only gonna say this once so listen up! When you actually _love_ someone, you LISTEN to them! You take decisions together and you _don't fucking LEAVE_ without notice! And you think you're playing the hero acting like this!? Stupid asshole! This is not called fighting! That's running away like a spineless jerk!" Naruto kept on roaring "So come on, yell back at me to see if you still have some of that so called 'Uchiha pride', or are you too scared, now!?"

"Yeah?" Sasuke finally replied, voice cold to prevent the burning ache from showing. He didn't shout, though nearly "You think it'll be better when Sakura's dead!? I don't give a damn if I'm a coward as long as she can be _safe_!"

"Fuck, Sasuke…" Naruto snarled, pushing back the raven haired shinobi just a little "Do you really think I'm the one you're supposed to say this to?"

"It's over." It was a condemnation, a sigh of utter defeat from the one who had refused for the longest part of his life to ever admit weakness. Maybe he was weak, a coward or whatever contemptible name Naruto could find, but if at least Sakura could live, Sasuke would see himself as partly redeemed.

Naruto was taking none of it "You really want me to go over the speech again? I know you, damn it!" He spat scornfully "You're familiar with loneliness, aren't ya teme? Don't let Sakura-chan experience that! And since you're throwing such a pity party on yourself, why not say how she deserves to be so much happier than you!?"

The Uchiha's brow twitched. Naruto raged on "Did you even ask her what she WANTS?!"

' _What Sakura wants?'_ Eyes widening a little more, Sasuke swallowed his harsh come-back as memories invaded his mind without permission: There, in a blurry but light setting, was Sakura smiling at his side, laughing happily. Then she appeared in his arms, asleep; he could see his fingers threading in her hair while he listened to her calm breathing and bathed in her warmth. He heard her voice resonating in his head like in an empty cathedral _"Your name. I want it."_

As these thoughts came to him, Sasuke's face gradually fell to bare it from the deep frustration and leave only the unspeakable pain that was skinning him alive ever since he had woken up that morning before reaching Konoha with the agonizing terror that he would lose the object of his utmost affection if he didn't make the hardest choice. But there was no other option! They were fated as such from the very beginning; to strive, to love, to fall apart.

The last memory he would keep of Sakura was the promise he wouldn't allow her to keep _"I'll see you later"_ had she said, smiling.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart! You can travel all you want while Sakura's here in Konoha, you know. But DON'T-FUCKING-LEAVE HER-FOREVER!"

It was only after this last outburst that Naruto noticed the painfully obvious grief on his friend's face. Sasuke found nothing to answer, probably submerged by thoughts. Though Naruto's tone remained stern and disapproving as he hadn't yet forgotten what this bastard of a best friend had dared to ask him, his voice eased from a yell to a reprimanding, lower one "Teme, just _once_ in your fucking life, forget your stupid mind! When it comes to love, let your heart take the lead." He let go of Sasuke's collar then and gave off a boyish pout "I know this sounds hella cheesy, okay, but you can always find a way."

'… _we'll find a way.'_ This was Sakura's only plea –because never would she step so low as to beg him on her knees anymore. The only thing she was asking of him was enough trust to give them a chance.

"To think _I_ would have to give the 'Uchiha prodigy' some lessons…You really fell low, teme" growled Naruto "You're not worth punching anymore. Tell me when you are again" and with that he spun on his heels to leave.

Sasuke watched him walk away in the distance, eyes empty as though they were observing plain white. This courage, this trust…could he really gather enough on his own?

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Hello Everyone!_

 _First of all, I always feel like I don't thank you enough for always leaving such nice reviews! So yes, Arigatooooooooo!_

 _~Now about this chapter~_

 _Some of you believed that Sasuke being a 'drama queen' (wink) would be over with chapter 35 but obviously, he's more stubborn than that although all it took was one more push from his bro' Naruto to make him reconsider!^^ I have to say I really love the relationship between the two. Studio Pierrot makes it seem so silly at times when it really is one of the best brotherhoods in anime._

 _I believe I somehow made Sasuke more outspoken with Naruto. What do you guys think?_

 _Also, the expression "throwing (yourself) a pity party" is something I learnt in Noragami (my Bible). Is it actually used in English speaking countries?_

 _-Lastly, I will have to study for the French BAC a lot in the following weeks so I will most likely post the next chapter on the Friday two weeks from now or in the weekend. Thank you for your understanding, I mean it. :)_


	38. White Clover - Chapter 37

_**FLY AWAY - White Clover**_

 _ **Chapter 37**_

The afternoon flew by. When sunset arrived, Sasuke had already visited his gray, empty apartment to gather a few supplies. Having put them in another of his trusted shoulder bags, he was on his way, the only one he could take anymore.

His steps led him on a seemingly invisible path, for when the young man came about again he had no recognition of the streets he had taken to get there–which he normally knew by heart in his home village even after the complete reconstruction of it. Only now did he see the lampposts, already glowing yellow in the dimming red light of the sun coming from behind the heads of the Kages further west on the mountain, and the buildings on each side of the streets, the one on his left white, almost brand new and with four stories.

His feet climbed up the first two sets of stairs, never hesitating on one step; they knew what was left to do when Sasuke's mind had the worst difficulty settling it precisely, like he always wanted to before taking action in any situation. It was too hard to picture for now but he wasn't one to leave it for later: how would it play out exactly when he would tell her?

The only thing he presently knew was that Sakura's apartment door was closed –not that it was any difficulty for him to come in anyway, but it clearly indicated that she wasn't home yet. At this hour of the day? …What time was it anyway? Sasuke glanced at the clock behind the counter of the kitchen. A quarter to eight. She should have come back by now, if only for food.

He sat down on the sofa regardless. Slowly, Sasuke came to recognize a new feeling, that of apprenhension; not the gripping, icy, overwhelming tenseness from the recent traumatizing events in his life, but still one that obstructed his throat with a thick ball. As he stayed there, back crooked, looking down at his bent knees, the knowledge that there was nothing he could do to make his burden lighter weighted on Sasuke's mind. He wanted Sakura to be there already; yet at the same time he dreaded it. It made him feel silly for how it seemed a lot like something his idiotic childhood friend could experience, though he did his best to think of more important matters than this, the conversation to come being one of them, the consequences of either outcome as another…

Sasuke closed his eyes. There was no way he could focus with the stress and mind-mess taking place inside him at present. Unnerved, he tried to busy himself by reviewing the items in his first bag, the one he had previously left at Sakura's and which was still at the foot of the couch. Then, when it got old, he switched to his second –two shirts, some pants, onigiris, a pack of kunai, shuriken, a blanket…He still had to retrieve his map and sleeping mat from the old bag so that everything would be ready. He didn't do it. He didn't want to be ready.

So the young man stood up and roamed across the room. He contemplated the bookshelf for a distraction – it was full of medical methods and other scientific essays, empty of romance novels- but eventually dismissed the idea, however not without a thought of how much like her it looked. He knew for sure that there wasn't much in the kitchen cupboards for him to eat, but his gaze lingered on the counter anyway, remembering how Sakura had been seated there, peacefully humming as she sewed this morning.

Increasing anxiety rendered one of the two greatest shinobis on this Earth powerless; minute after minute the feeling turned into an agonizing torture which trampled over Sasuke's pride and made the blood in his veins run cold, fast.

There was no clock in the living room or in the kitchen, so he didn't know how long he had to wait before he detected the smallest trace of a presence outside the door as it came open slowly and soundlessly safe for the outside breeze. Though as the moon shone high up, sharp crescent a thin, bright, white arc among pale blue stars in the summer sky that he could see through the window, it was likely that the lights in the streets were long out at such time of the night. Sasuke didn't move, noticed how he couldn't feel the slightest chakra peak anymore and silently praised the newcomer. Had it been the Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja Naruto, the door would have most probably been opened with a creak and loud curses.

"Ah?" Sasuke didn't have to turn to know whose voice sounded from the entrance of the room. He did so anyway and found Sakura Haruno, fighting guard dropping as an expression between confusion and embarrassment crept onto her gentle features. "It's you" she let out a sigh then finally walked deeper inside to join her teammate on the couch, all the while groaning in a mock lecture "Breaking in like that…where are your manners, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura placed the keys still in her hand on the coffee table before sitting beside Sasuke, smiling "I thought you'd be home for the night."

The young Uchiha averted his gaze "Yeah."

It seemed Sakura was in a good mood for she continued babbling "I'm sorry I came back so late! I didn't know you would be waiting so I stayed at my parents' for dinner." Still grinning but slightly unsettled by her companion's lack of response –or 'hn'- the pink haired girl leaned forward a bit to see his profile behind raven bangs. As the task proved more difficult than planned, she lifted the hand that wasn't supporting her on the comfy couch up to his cheek to feel the thin, black locks between her thumb and forefinger. She barely caressed the pale skin, her mission being to find the ink black pools directed forward, visibly deep in thoughts.

"Sakura." Surprising. She didn't even get to ask if anything was on his mind. Sasuke's eyes lowered from the observation of the wall opposite him to that of his hand on his knees. Sakura opened her mouth in an 'o', suddenly very concerned; and upon discovering such sorrow in her beloved's eyes, she instinctively made to grab his lone hand comfortingly with her smaller one. This sight brought flickering tenderness to Sasuke's expression before the downward turn of his lips and uneasy frown over his eyes returned. Everything remained silent except for the faint sound of their breath, but although it was Sasuke's cue to speak, he found that the words he wanted to say escaped him in an unreachable whirlwind, so that all he could repeat softly once again was her name. The kunoichi gave his hand a small squeeze -she wanted to give him courage, to let him know it was okay to speak out his doubts if he had any, that she would listen and be there, never judging- and he figured this was where he would start "You're strong."

It came as such a shock to Sakura that water came to sting her eyes before she could even gasp. A hot geyser surged in her beating, beating heart as it swelled with so many intense, indiscernable feelings. Such warmth brought a blush to her cheeks in an instant; though in spite of the sheer joy of finally, truly being acknowledged by her one dearly beloved person for what she had been trying to prove both the world and herself for years now, Sakura blinked unshed tears away, if only to childishly prove Sasuke that indeed she was worthy of this adjective. In truth, she could hardly believe those words had just left his mouth. Holding his hand tighter, she lowered her shiny eyes to it with an irrepressible smile tugging up the corners of her pink lips and a small, hearty, happy murmur of his name escaping them softly as a kiss.

"You are" Sasuke asserted, gaze focused on her bent head now that he didn't risk finding her hypnotizing emerald orbs anymore. It was astonishing to him that such an admission would produce such happiness from Sakura. He regretted all the more having to break such news to her. His mouth opened to declare "This is why…I finally realized I ought to give you the choice" He struggled not to trail off in the end as his voice became fainter and fainter with each letter in each word.

Sakura's pink head had a small upward movement like a jump although thankfully she didn't look up at him. Had she done so, he was sure his words would have vanished for good since it was now that things would turn for the better or the worst. There was no point in delaying it, questions would be superficial; he was sure of Sakura's loyalty, her love and worth. The silence was oppressing, compressing Sasuke's lungs and throat where the thick ball had doubled in width and pressure; he just had to say it before no air would be left in him.

So, closing his eyes, fears to be forgotten for this single instant, he took one deep breath "You…You are strong enough to make me a promise." A pause. Sakura knew _he_ never made promises. Moreover, he had forbidden her from doing so just two days ago. This fact in itself was more than staggering; yet Sasuke had said nothing at all by then and merely succeeded in giving her hopes that he would probably burn down to ashes with his next sentences. "It's the only thing I'll ask you."

He shifted to stand but her hands, both now securely wrapped over his own, prevented him. All things considered, there was more right in staying seated there, close by her side. He would at least have the knowledge in either outcome that he had been brave enough to remain right there when he told her. The span of a minute appeared never-ending to both of them, but then Sasuke's voice came out, stern, slow, in the baritone of a resolute man "Orochimaru is not the only one threatening you, it'd be too much to hope. Being with me is dangerous, that's why I wanted to drive you away from me. But now…" Sasuke took a breath, glanced aside only to meet big viridian eyes staring back at him and turned his head at once towards the coffee table, though he regretted it immediately after. His ultimate choice was to hold her gaze as steadily as he could muster under his nervous frown "I'm ready to leave for good right now-" Sakura's eyes widened impossibly "-but… there is _one_ alternative."

"Tell me" the eagerness in her tone testified she would agree to anything Sasuke asked of her although he hated her being so –hated to think she might give him false hope as well.

"What I want…What I need you to do…" He began, determination unwavering but voice absent from duty. It wasn't blank enough, not strong enough; it was simply true to his emotions of anxious fear and tension under deep layers of manly tonalities. He made eye contact "…If…If you ever end up in the worst situation again…and you're with someone who's dying too…Even if it's me, you have to promise…" There, only one more effort; he breathed it out with the last of his air "Save yourself."

Sasuke saw the reaction on her face: chin dropping open to reveal teeth, tongue and mouth, pink lips quivering, blush fading on paling cheeks, green eyes gradually becoming rounder than saucers, eyebrows arching up and creasing at the same time –was it horror? Her hands tensed above his; then he felt their warmth leaving him altogether as they shakily withdrew. Yes, staring at him in utter shock like she had after being struck by the genjutsu that had pierced through her heart, horror was what Sakura's features screamed out when she couldn't make a sound.

Dejected, weary coal eyes lowered only to her chin, much too unworthy to leave her form or even her face completely. Strangled now without oxygen, lips whispered croakily the words they had grown used to "I'm sorry."

"Y-you better damn well be!" Sasuke didn't have to look up to know she was crying, again because of him. He watched the crystal tears rolling past her mouth until they fell like the rain of dew from her chin as she continued, tone shaky with outrage "You-! Y-you are asking me, a-a _medic_ , to sacrifice lives for my own! That's-"

"If you die, nothing would save me." Selfishly or out of a need to express his view as a last resort to prevent his exile, those feelings, thoughts and fears all together had to be released from Sasuke's tight throat no matter what; and he spoke them, not blankly but with a kind of cool desperation, for the meaning his words held was fact "I would drown in darkness again, kill until someone managed to end it for me-"

"But you can't ask me to value my life above another human being's!" She cried desperately.

"I would be _mad_ without you in this world, Sakura."It sounded as though he had not even heard her.

"Y-you wouldn't…" her voice had calmed down a bit but was all the more doubtful after his declaration. She shook her head, almost frantic "You have a clan to restore and Naruto…"

"I don't give a damn about my clan if you're on the line!" Sasuke interrupted more vehemently than intended. "And Naruto wouldn't change a thing except for putting an end to my suffering!" He had to make her understand: his reasoning wasn't mere speculation, it was fatality. "You are irreplaceable, and I would kill for you, I already did. But… if you were to… _disappear_ …There would be no more good in this world for me."

The whole time his eyes had been plunged into hers, pouring these words of unchangeable truth into her soul like a violent waterfall. He had to finish "That's why I'll leave you here if you can't promise. You must be safe."

Sakura was the first to break eye-contact to find her hands, empty and nervous in her lap. Her lips opened a little so she could murmur "The world won't always hate the Uchiha. I can wait a bit more until…"

"Sakura…" Even without enemies to prey on them, this wasn't the guarantee Sasuke needed. The safety net had to be stronger, made of thick iron thread, not founded on mere suppositions that left holes in its fragile surface.

"Sasuke-kun, you're asking me to sacrifice you if I have to" Sakura said, distraught and still teary "but do you even imagine how it would be if you had to make the same decision!?"

"I told you, you're strong" _'stronger than me'_ was only silently implied because she already knew this from what had slipped from his tongue earlier. "You'd make it."

Sakura bit down on her bottom lip hard enough to gather more water at the corners of her eyes. How, oh how could he be so sure? "Y-you're the love of my life!" She let out weakly.

A soft 'hmm' left Sasuke in response as he lifted his hand slowly. It landed gently on the diamond of strength marking the kunoichi's wide forehead, but before long his fingers traveled through her hair and reached the back of her head. They caressed the locks there most carefully; then Sakura made an abrupt movement. A sob escaped her and she jumped to hold him tight, arms around his neck, head above his heart, chest as much against his as she could as she propped herself up on one knee on the couch to reach him out. It seemed she was never close enough, so she nuzzled against his torso, turning her head left and right with teary moans in distress before becoming silent. Sasuke tried to hold her back even in this awkward position when she was halfway leaning on his left side and his body was still facing the wall. He moved his hand to her shoulder, but found there was nothing he could do to stop the water from pouring over his shirt. At times she would let out a sigh or the smallest whimper, but then she simply let the tears flow, trying to seek comfort in the warmth of him. He didn't blame her for doing so. What kind of a monster was he, forcing her to make such a promise? To choose between two, or maybe more lives and choose her own. He had to be too twisted to think it an easy choice; be it the whole village burning down in flames, he would undoubtedly still save her alone if he couldn't do more. This was so wrong, yet her survival was so primordial; but then there were those tears pouring endlessly onto his chest. Sasuke had always know she was much too good for him but at this point, all he could do was close his eyes. _'It's over now'_ he thought; their last, tear-soaked goodbye.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura uttered faintly against him. "Sasuke-kun, I promise."

And just like that, in a mere second, he tensed, heart stopping sharp. Then it throbbed. His whole body set to work again, only too abruptly: His eyes went wide and he wanted to let them sting and to let them cry, he wanted to hold her tighter, to kiss her, to say he loved her, to show her, to make her tears go away, to do anything she wanted, to be with her for a long, long time…

But Sakura wasn't done. She continued only a bit louder, forcefully, resolve set "I-I promise to never let us be in a situation like this… I promise to be strong enough for us both, so we can protect and count on each other! I promise I won't let you down!" Sakura undid her arms behind his neck to look up straight at his flabbergasted features "I-I'll save myself… if it's the only way… but I promise I'll do everything in my power to never have to do that!"

A pause. For a moment, Sasuke just _breathed_. There was white, pure, blank silence now as they stared into each other's souls. Then, the information had sunk in. Both pressed forward into a kiss, loving, slow, careful, delicate, but passionate, avid, heated, fervent… They kissed, again, again, again and never did their lips feel sore; they could never use them enough. Sasuke trailed his on her jawline: one, two, three butterfly kisses along its length. Then her neck; they became more needy. He rarely ever allowed himself to mark her in fear of rousing slumbering demons, only this time her skin was already reddened before he could put an end to his lips' mad dancing. A large, masculine hand had also sneaked its way on her side and past the hem of her top to touch smooth, perfect skin, cautious but also fast in its ascension. Sakura gave a yelp "Sasuke-kun" a call to be unheeded as he kissed down her collar-bone. Her hands traveled to his face and cupped each side of it, just as firm as they were tender so he would look at her. She spoke again softly when he did "Please, just kiss me… only kisses…"

Sasuke's eyes were a foggy black, lit by nothing but love for her whilst hers, the clearest, shiniest viridian with water still in them held a deeper melancholy doubling intense and pure affection. How could he erase the first feeling, make her forget it even existed? She had given him everything so how could he do the same?

His open mouth fell to her neck again, breathing warm air onto the soft flesh. "Sakura" he whispered, kissed once, twice, then realized he had slowly let them fall back on the couch. With her head resting on the armrest, Sakura's pink tresses pooled around her face like petals of the same flower on the grass of spring, delicate and thin, fragile. Her cheeks colored daintily in this light shade and her gentle, yet not quite tranquil expression forced him to behold her for a second more before he leaned down to grant her wish. And he carefully kissed every single visible inch of skin on her body: her legs up to her knees, her hands and arms, her shoulders, from hip to hip horizontally, circling her midriff, all of her neckline under her head, her reddening cheeks, her nose…and finally her awaiting, burning lips. He adored her as the most precious treasure, held her in the purest ways like she asked of him; if a whisper of what this meant was needed to be voiced, Sakura could easily guess what it would have been. _'Thank you.'_

* * *

 ** _A.N./:_** _arg! I'm so wasted guys..._

 _Exam week almost got me but hey, apparently I'm still here! I can't say I wrote very much lately, though..._

 _I hope you'll forgive me about the lateness. You've always been adorable about it up till now so thanks again.^^_

 _See you in two weeks!...(if I'm not dead yet by then x_x)_


	39. Little Song - Chapter 38

_**FLY AWAY – Little Song**_

 _ **Chapter 38**_

A little light came filtering from the kitchen window, away from the comfort of the couch where warm breaths still mingled in this late summer morning. The room was lit in pale yellow by this small, square speck on its opposite side, shadows cast behind furniture in purplish gray like the pastel colors used on aquarelle paintings.

Sakura and Sasuke slept soundly under an old blanket on the comfy red couch, undisturbed by the light in their faces. The former laid half on top of the latter, her body turned onto him and head on his shoulder. Because of this, Sasuke was at the edge of the couch though judging by the relaxed arch of his eyebrows and slightly agape mouth, he was visibly calm and more at ease than he had been in the past few days. Yes, his ninja senses were certainly completely turned off to not have alerted him by now, and the same statement could be made for the kunoichi resting on his shoulder.

Because truly, Naruto had never seen either of his two teammates so unguarded.

Although pissed off at his rival the day before, the blond jinchuriki had woken up this morning (after all, a quarter to twelve _was still_ morning) with a nagging feeling that he had been careless. What if he hadn't said the right things or hadn't stayed long enough at his blockhead of a best friend's side to shake reason into him? What if he had inwardly pushed him further away instead of saving his team the pain of another loss? Darting up from his bed and taking off towards Sasuke's apartment had been Naruto's first move. Upon finding the Uchiha's lone home abandoned as though for months, his steps had become more tense and desperate, only to find the prick sleeping right there, with Sakura, on her couch.

To think that neither the sound of the door opening, of the parquet under his footsteps or his panting would wake them up, it was to beggar belief. So yes, Naruto was rather stunned, firstly that he hadn't yet been shoved out by either a super hard slipper-kick or in the worst scenario, black inextinguishable flames burning his derriere, secondly that he was still in good enough condition right then to think about it. Not only this but from his spot, standing frozen, legs spread and hands at the ready as if for battle, just past the wall that separated the entrance hall from the linked kitchen and living-room, Naruto could perfectly observe his two teammates and notice how in this position Sakura didn't seem to be wearing any clothes. Her shoulder and ankle were bare! Rashly shaking his head back and forth, Naruto chose much like an overprotective brother to deny that his kind, cute (albeit brutal) friend would be involved in any…impure activities. He promised himself however, to have one good man-to-man talk with that bastard he called a best friend. Later that is. For now, he would be damned to risk being found out. Such foolishness would only ensure rapid death either at the hands of a grumpy Sasuke or much worse, an infuriated Sakura; or maybe both.

' _Yosh'_ Naruto mentally punched his fist into his other palm, determined. He lifted up his foot to take a careful step towards the exit door –he would have to open and close it again, curse his thoughts of being mindful of drafts in Sakura's apartment so as not to suffer her bad temper. The carpet that had caused his demise so many times before by making him trip and crash into the shoes positioned by the door would not be the end of him again! Naruto carefully side-stepped it… only to noisily bump his biceps against the furniture against the wall.

That would have been okay had he not cursed loudly in pain right after. With everything he had done to come in, the stupid, wooden, damned furniture had to get in his way! If only to aggravate him further, the phone resting on it fell from its stand to noisily land among piled up coins. Low moans were heard in cue from the couch.

' _Shit!'_ Eyes wide, Naruto had an instant of pure panic where he just stood there in the awkward position he was in. The transient thought of Hinata who would mourn his death before she could even be called an Uzumaki brought movement back to his muscles and brain. Those weren't smart enough it seemed, since he could have just run out the door instead of ducking behind the side of the stupid furniture to hide. It was already too late though, and Naruto felt miserable for his foolishness. If only he had read that scroll about the Hiraishin jutsu more carefully!

"Hmm…Morning, Sasuke-kun…" He heard his pink haired teammate mutter.

Crap! They were definitely up now! Naruto remembered just in time to conceal his chakra signature, something quite hard indeed when you had a few tailed beasts' power inside of you.

A grunt came in response. _'Typical'_ Naruto thought _'The bastard can't even greet her correctly…Wait, what's that sound?'_ it was a faint, slightly wet sound, much like when he kissed Hinata… Naruto's eyes widened even more if possible as he clamped his hand over his mouth to repress a girlish gasp.

A feminine giggle sounded from the living room, then the shifting of the covers. It felt calmer all of a sudden, until Sakura's voice came back, soft and bittersweet "I'm glad you're still here."

Naruto blinked. Did it mean that Sasuke would say? Had he really convinced him or had she? Maybe both of them had played their parts… He couldn't dwell on the thought as Sasuke replied "I'm not going anywhere, not just yet." Never, did Naruto _ever_ hear his cocky bastard of a rival speak so gently. God, never. And man, was it a shock. Worse, he continued: "I don't want to…"

More kissing sounds followed and this time Naruto really felt like he was intruding. _'What to do? What to do?'_ he couldn't just bolt out the door now! They would know that somebody had been here and that his name was Uzumaki, it would merely be a question of time. But then what? He wasn't about to go into tailed-beast mode to disappear speedily through the window!

Sakura sighed and the covers shifted again. From the sound, Naruto could picture her sitting up on top of Sasuke to smile at him; she sounded so happy "You want to stay at my place while you're in the village?"

' _Sakura-chan!'_ Naruto mentally screamed in mortification _'How can you ask that to a man!?'_ Oh no, he had to intervene! Two people didn't just start living together after so little a time of being a couple, no agreement of the families involved and a marriage! Yes, maybe Naruto was a bit old school, but after observing Hiashi's demands regarding his relationship with Hinata in hopes of being granted her hand by next spring, some of the Hyuuga patriarch's precepts had had to rub off a bit. Besides, the jinchuriki was willing to bet Sasuke hadn't ever met Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno in his life!

But it was too late now, wasn't it? Sasuke had already given his trademark grunt in response and quite obviously pulled her back down to him. Naruto had to admit, this was _really_ different from his relationship with Hinata. He loved her dearly but it had taken him months to allow himself to indulge his needs when he simply wanted to hold her hand in the street or kiss her (in private). The furthest they had gone was a passionate making out session and sleeping side by side atop his bed after watching a movie at his apartment. Even then they had had to cover up with a lie of her spending the night with Tenten and Ino to avoid Hiashi's wrath. Maybe Sasuke and Sakura were just in their own bubble, so that they didn't care about anyone's thoughts? They just seemed so relaxed together whereas he and Hinata still appeared to be stepping on eggs at times, too shy to express their wishes plainly. Maybe these two were in the right…but then what could Naruto do with such a traditionalist, rigid and overprotective future in-law?

A sigh sounded, obviously Sakura's "You know, I've seen Tsunade-sama yesterday. She introduced me to the two medics from Kiri, Aya and Setsu." Although the smile was hearable in her voice, it was also slightly laced with sleep and tranquility. "They're nice," she continued "but she sounded so proud of them …"

"You're jealous?" Came Sasuke's reply. Naruto wanted to gag: Firstly, never call Sakura anything negative or, depending on the gravity of the offense, she'll either be mad at you and give you a cold shoulder or punch you to outer space. Secondly, did Sasuke just take part in an idle conversation without any prodding? It happened so rarely, if not to say never…

"Maybe…" Sakura stifled another cute, little snicker under a sigh. Naruto was flabbergasted; for her to actually admit it!

The fabric of their blanket moved again; Sakura gasped softly. Was Sasuke touching her? The heck! Naruto had to make him pay if he did anything out of place! If only he could see…wait, no! He wasn't a voyeur!

Because he was too busy with shaking his head back and forth as silently as possible, the blond missed part of Sasuke's next words "-strong. That seal is proof of it."

"Hmm~" Sakura let out a happy hum of agreement to his statement. A pause… too long a pause. Naruto heard them again when they parted for breath. Heavens save him…

Sakura gave a small laugh again, more breathy. She whispered something low and playfully that Naruto could not hear. Then, abruptly, there was the sound of two feet stepping on the parquet and knowing her, Sakura was grinning like a trickster when she said "Save it for later, Sasuke-kun, I gotta take a shower now." Naruto paled ' _Save_ _ **what**_ _?'_ Such words coming out of his dear, dear, almost-sister's mouth! For the love of ramen, _what_ was she implying!?

Steps were heard on the parquet and Sakura soon appeared some way next to where Naruto was hiding behind the damn furniture, the very reason of his predicament –he wouldn't blame his curiosity, not ever. Naruto pressed his body against the wall hoping it would swallow him whole. If Sakura found him now…For slight reassurance, the jinchuriki could see her from the corner of his eye, turning back to the couch, her finger over her lip mischievously and other hand on her hip to emphasize its curve and, thank god, he realized she was clothed. With a little red blush on her cheeks, her voice was that of a sweet devil "Wanna join me?"

Now Naruto just wished he didn't know what she had been implying. Oh, if she found him after what she had said…! He would never see daylight again… Naruto wanted to swallow hard. He found the smallest comfort in trying to imagine how bad he would beat up the bastard if he accepted this obviously thoughtless offer –Sakura would _never_ go so far, she was a much too proud lady, right?

Silence met his ears before Sakura giggled once more. Her steps barely resounded on the floor as she appeared to skip towards the bathroom. Naruto would have let out a sigh had he not been so troubled by his recent discoveries. Oh the shock! The shock! How could he ever look Sakura in the eye after that!? And Sasuke…!

"You can come out now, dobe."

Naruto froze. His rival's voice was back to its usual blankness as though it hadn't ever held the tender feelings of before, or never even been able of doing so in the first place. Although he still had the worst of times believing it, Naruto had definitely heard it. This wasn't the most pressing issue right then however, as slow footsteps steadily approached the spot where the blond stood petrified, as much by astonishment as by dread. Then the hothead remembered he wasn't supposed to fear his rival and jumped from behind the furniture only to stare back into a glare so fierce that it made him stumble on his feet and almost fall down.

Sasuke looked positively annoyed to the point of being truly scary with his dark hair over his face, dark clothes and dark, dark glare under heavily knitted eyebrows. But that was just it: Naruto expected to find crimson, or even mismatched red and purple staring back at him after being caught –involuntarily- eavesdropping. Instead he found ink black eyes. This discovery made part of Naruto's apprehension subside for surprise to take its place, so that he found the courage to plead his cause "I-I swear it's a misunderstanding!"

"Conceal your chakra. Otherwise Sakura will find you" Sasuke's monotone reply puzzled the blond even more.

"O-oh! Yeah…" He remembered just in time to keep his voice low enough so their pink haired teammate wouldn't hear, though all his mind could think of right now was how he wasn't six feet under yet. Maybe a bit stupidly, he just asked "So…You aren't gonna kill me or…?"

"Whatever you heard stays in these walls" Sasuke replied, blank, still glaring. He didn't have to fix an ultimatum: Sakura would know of this if word ever got out.

"O-oh" More than flabbergasted, Naruto attempted an uneasy smile "Thanks, I guess…" The whiskered young man gazed sheepishly at the floor, scratching the back of his neck "How did you know I was there by the way?"

Partially –maybe unconsciously- slipping out of his somber stance, Sasuke shrugged "Just a guess. You blew your cover when you jumped out."

A look of horror crossed Naruto's features. So he might actually have gotten away with it had he not been so stupid as to find the Uchiha's eyes? He muttered a curse under his breath just for the sake of meager stress-relief.

Sasuke turned towards the hallway leading to the other rooms of the apartment. For some reason, seeing his back as such, it clicked in Naruto's mind why his time hadn't come yet. The raven-head wouldn't say it for the life of him after the argument they had had the previous day, but the fact that he hadn't warned Sakura of Naruto's presence or done so much as give his rival a good punch for eavesdropping on a private moment clearly proved one thing: he knew how much he owed him.

This realization brought some calm back to the jinchuriki's senses so that he could process the situation –slightly- more easily. It was still so surreal, what he had witnessed. Like the loud-mouth he always had been, Naruto simply decided to lay down his feelings in words "You know, it's kinda weird seeing you guys like that…Not a bad kind of weird! Just…"

Although slowly, the Uchiha continued walking further away, likely uninterested in his comrade's comments, but Naruto kept musing aloud regardless "You really love her, don't you, teme?"

Sasuke stopped mid-step for Naruto to carry on "Maybe I understand a bit more what you wanted to do and why…kind of…I still don't think it was right, though."

Silence; and then Sasuke warned "Sakura will get suspicious"

At first nodding and turning towards the door with a friendly smirk, the blond abruptly turned back towards his rival after the split second it took him to seize the ulterior meaning of this sentence "W-wait a second!" He whisper-cried "You're not gonna join her, teme!?"

Sasuke still didn't look at him, way too proud of his effect. Before departing for good towards the bathroom, he glanced over his shoulder, trying to dissimulate a wolfish smirk "What are you still doing here" he said in a low voice that wasn't even asking.

Naruto was purely and entirely mortified.

~O~

Konoha was always crowded in the afternoon, especially in a sunny summer day when lone tables on the terraces of cafés screamed for you to take a seat. This was precisely where Ino had dragged her best-friend-forever/former rival to have one good talk. About the Sakura's adventures? Of course not! Not after the pink haired girl had not even bothered to come see her the very first day after her arrival! So what if she had been with Tsunade all afternoon? Objection overruled!

"-So I was telling you about our first date! It was just a bit after you left, but seriously, Sai is so stuck up! I swear I was spelling out everything for him! But you know how he is so I guess it can't be helped! It was embarrassing enough to clear my throat for him to pull my chair out but then…"

With her elbow up on the table, Sakura put her cheek in her palm, smiling at her friend's incessant chatting. There was truly no need for her to intervene in the conversation when Ino got started like this, motioning everywhere without minding the glass of lemonade in her hands much; she hadn't even touched it since the waiter had brought their drinks, preferring instead to add more details about Sai's helplessness whenever she was too close to bringing the glass to her perfectly lip-sticked mouth. Growing more amused each time her blond friend's sapphire blue eyes would widen a bit when she remembered a detail she had omitted, Sakura kept twirling the straw in her own drink and sighed contentedly. Somehow, she had missed that.

"Sakura!" Ino exclaimed, seemingly outraged as the pink haired girl blinked in surprise "How can you sigh when I'm telling you about something so important! My whole future is on the line!"

The medic raised an eyebrow, tone snide "You mean, Sai not knowing how to kiss someone? Anyone would have guessed that."

Ino slammed a hand flat on the metal table, making their glasses clink with the ice in them swinging on violent waves. The faint pink blush on her cheeks was barely visible because of the shark like smirk and snide look she gave Sakura "Like you're one to talk, Forehead!"

"Oh yeah?" Now was the time Sakura had awaited. If there was one privilege of being in a relationship (with the man of her dreams) after forever remaining single, it was to brag about it to Ino. "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, Pig" she answered, returning the smirk.

One visible blond eyebrow lifted slightly above surprised blue eyes, before they switched into a knowing look and Ino pursed her lips, forming an 'oh'. "So you got the Uchiha? 'Bout time…" her tone was the most offhanded in the world.

Ino observed her polished nails with interest; Sakura stared on at her face, perfectly aware of what was to come. Three…two…one…Ino turned her head back towards Sakura like a meerkat on the watch and spoke in this bored tone of hers "Seriously though, you're making fun of Sai, but how can someone at least as stuck up as him be a good kisser?"

"He's an Uchiha"

"Precisely."

The instant their gazes met again, the silence broke and gave way to the two girl's laughter. Sakura almost fell over onto the table while Ino held her sides. Finally when their fit subsided, Ino wiped a tear away from her covered eye "I missed you, Forehead."

"Me too, Pig."

The blond winked, eyes bright "I knew it was only a matter of time, though I won't question Sasuke-kun's taste in women!"

"Nor will I Sai's."

Not even offended, Ino carried on with a wave of her hand "Oh come on, you know what I mean. He should be scared to ever be on your wrong side! You're one hell of a terrifying girl, that's why you had no luck in dating before except for Lee who kept running after you like a puppy (though he's clearly a masochist). Speaking of him, I've never seen Tenten spend more time with that hyperactive freak than while you were gone."

Sakura leaned forward, palms flat on the table "No way!"

"Yes way!" Ino continued excitedly "And they're not the only ones! Shikamaru went to Suna just recently. I swear he was holding Temari's hand when they came back!" She finished her sentence in a half whisper, glancing sideways as though this were a top secret information.

"That one was predictable enough" Sakura commented.

"You wanna know what's unpredictable? Look at that!" Ino pointed her finger towards the road behind her. Further there on their side of the street, Sakura recognized the large silhouette of Chouji, one of the sweetest guys she had ever met (besides Sasuke in the mornings after a long night…). A smile came to her face at the sight of the young man because she hadn't had the chance to greet him yet since her return but then, beside him, she spotted a person that seemed vaguely familiar. Chouji had his eyes on this woman, cheeks redish, seemingly apologetic and rather uncomfortable for some unknown reason. Ino called and waved towards them, and as they approached Sakura slowly came to recognize the latter figure: a tanned-skinned, red-haired, golden-eyed young woman in a black, loosely fit dress with a belt that she had met once before the war. Karui.

"Hey!" Ino greeted enthusiastically "You guys are out again? I've seen you moseying about the village all week!"

"Err yes," answered Chouji, sheepish "Karui's only got a short time before she has to go back to Kumogakure so…"

"I see…" Ino gave her teammate an all too knowing look which made the poor boy blush pink.

"Sakura!" He acknowledged her presence as a last resort to escape the blonde's vicious claws "I didn't know you and Sasuke had returned! How are you?"

The medic-nin gave a light wave "Fine, thanks" She would normally have furthered her best friend's inquiring, if only to have a little fun without being mean, but the smile on her lips gradually became a little tense as Karui's golden orbs wouldn't leave her face. From the corner of her eye, Sakura had seen her shoulders jump in the slightest at the mention of Sasuke's name, she could only guess why. But it wasn't fair to start on a wrong basis. Sakura barely even knew this girl from that one unpleasant encounter they had had before the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron. She would rather stay neutral for now until she could get a more accurate idea of the girl's personality, though since Chouji, the sweetest, kindest, most caring guy she knew (again, besides Sasuke in _those_ moments…), seemed to have taken a liking into Karui, Sakura couldn't believe that there was no good in her.

"Chouji, you really have to get a move on now," Ino babbled on "You're gonna be dead last in our promotion if this goes on! Even Sakura and Sasuke-kun hooked up!"

The Akimichi's jaw dropped open, though more because of perplexity and embarrassment than real shock "O-oh, is that so?…" Sakura enthusiastically nodded in confirmation "Congrats, I hope you two are happy together."

"With that Uchiha? Tch…"

Karui seemed to have mumbled her thoughts a little too loud for the others instantly snapped their attention at her. Not wasting a minute to make her previously -almost- forgotten presence known, she crossed her arms before her chest and spoke up "Honestly, I never thought that guy would find someone stup-"

"T-true!" Chouji cut in before Sakura had time to hear her full sentence and break the table she was currently sitting at. The pink haired girl's rounded gaze shifted to him instantly before he clarified "I-I mean, Sasuke was never the talkative type so you'd have to wonder, but Sakura's been after him for a long time so…"

The medic calmed down a bit –this boy was really, _really_ kind after all. But Karui huffed and turned to her boyfriend defiantly "Whatever. I just thought that after all the crap he pulled that guy would have been better left alone."

Now, Sakura's eye twitched, her frown intensifying. Looking up at the hot-tempered Karui with disapproval clearly visible on her face, she defended "He's doing everything he can to make amends."

"Tch" the black woman spat "Like I care. No one forgave him in the Cloud for what he did to my master, and that's not about to change." Reminded of the incident she and Sasuke had gone through in Kumo, Sakura found nothing relevant to counter this argument while the flame in her green eyes grew rapidly in intensity. At this sight, Karui's irritation went up another hitch and her expression turned into a snarl, ignoring Chouji's soft mutter of her name that he had hoped would calm her down. Sakura's lack of recoil enraged her to such a point that she could hardly control it anymore, especially with her holding her stare boldly like that.

"You wanna know what I think?" She asked, tightening a fist at her side "Konoha was weak to let him off the hook! That asshole should have just paid for all his crimes! He doesn't deserve to have people around him like he did nothing wrong!"

Sakura's chair loudly clattered on the ground, attracting many passersby and customers of the café's attention as it unceremoniously fell. The fifth Hokage's disciple, the girl with the herculean strength, was angry, genuinely aggravated even, with her fists balled, shaking at her sides and her voice flaring like the fire in her eyes "You can't wish loneliness to someone who's already suffered so much from it!"

"Too bad" Karui shot back "'cause that's just what he deserves!"

Sakura's glare became so dark that it reminded both members of team ten of a certain Uchiha's; their rounded eyes traveled from Sakura to Karui and back, both at a loss on what to do in order to avoid Konoha's complete destruction.

"You don't know what Sasuke-kun's been through!" Sakura was yelling her lungs out now "And you don't know who he is now! He's not the same man anymore, you just don't bother with the truth and prefer to stick to what you've been told! It's so childish to act like that, like a kid who only doesn't ever think for himself!"

" _What did you say_!?" Karui's roared back at least as loud.

Sakura wasn't about to flinch; her voice lowered a bit, only more venomous "I said you were misjudging somebody you've actually never met like an immature child."

Karui's hand shot to the long blade sheathed on her belt and drew it straight at Sakura's throat –or at least, where Sakura's throat had been since she had jumped backwards just in time to avoid being within range of the weapon.

"Karui, what are you doing?" Chouji was all but panicking with his hands in front of him protectively as his girlfriend wouldn't allow him any closer "You can't attack Sakura! Not in the middle of-!"

Regardless, she lifted her black katana above her head so it charged itself with lightning energy. "Like I care!" Came her response as she brought the blade down and an electric beam flew towards Sakura.

There was a high-pitched scream –Ino's- and another gasp from Chouji. A small cloud of dust lifted up in the air at the same time as a flash of light blinded all audience of the scene. When everyone opened their eyes again and Karui looked at where her opponent had been, she only saw a crimson eye glaring back at her.

Time stood still and nobody made a sound as the form of Uchiha Sasuke revealed itself behind the plummeting dust, his left eye covered by long raven bangs but the dangerous animosity in his other red one all but noticeable. Straightening up at his full height, he dropped the hand that had been lifted in front of his face and from which small streaks of lightning still sparked. Wide eyed, Karui managed to process this _'He absorbed my jutsu…!?'_

"Teme! What the fuck was that!?" Nobody seemed to care about the blond, whiskered shinobi coming running towards his best friend who had abandoned him in the middle of their walk. Stap; it was the sound of this agile landing that made people turn to the left where Sakura was standing back up from her crouching position, perfectly unscathed. "I totally dodged that, Sasuke-kun" her mood was still rotten judging by her sour tone. She didn't even glance at her 'savior', preferring instead to cast a sidelong, wary look at her attacker.

"W-well, I didn't!" Ino managed, frozen from shock into a half-standing position "Thanks, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn" It couldn't really be told whether he was answering either of the blonds or Sakura, but it really didn't make much of a difference to Karui. The ninja she hated the most in this world was standing right there in front of her. Her teeth clenched tight, her grip tensed on the hilt of her shaking sword; she would have lunged at the Uchiha regardless of power difference or their current location hadn't it been for Chouji's strong arms around her shoulders the next instant.

"That's enough, Karui! Calm down!" He tried for the umpteenth time to tame her fiery spirit in one of its worst explosions as she fought against his hold.

"Shut up! Let me get him! That bastard wanted to kill my master! I have to avenge him!"

Sasuke stared back blankly and it infuriated Karui all the more. How dare he? How dare he stare at her like she was a freak? After all he had done! She couldn't let this chance go! She simply couldn't-!

"Hey."

The red-head tilted her head in the direction of that annoying girl who had provoked her earlier. Sakura stepped between her and the raven haired young man, eyes grave "It's me you were picking a fight with, remember?"

No, definitely, she couldn't let this go. Her honor as a kunoichi and Killer B's disciple were at stake now; so Karui shook herself free of Chouji's grip after a particularly harsh movement. Fiery golden eyes clashed straight on with emerald ones "You're no better than that guy for defending him."

"And you're wreaking havoc in the middle of a crowded street" the pink haired girl retorted just as steely.

Karui held back a snarl and bit on her bottom lip. Her glare intensified "Whatever, fight me. We'll see if you're still so proud of your criminal of a boyfriend then."

"Training ground ten at five thirty."

"I'll be there"

Karui sheathed her blade back into its holster and, glowering one last time at Sakura, turned on her heel to depart with a fretting Chouji in tow.

Ino suddenly exhaled deeply, earning the members of team seven's attention "Well done, forehead! Now what will you do if your kids decide to be friends with hers in the future!?"

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Hey! I'm kinda late for posting this at 1a.m. but...whatever at this point!_

 _I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I tried to make it light-hearted with some comedy and best-friend talks. You are welcome to tell me which parts you liked in a review! ;)_

 _As always, thank you guys for reading and liking this story up 'till now, I hope you will be looking forward to the action in the next chapter! See you then~_


	40. Sunspot - Chapter 39

_**FLY AWAY- Sunspot**_

 _ **Chapter 39**_

"Sakura-chan, can you tell me _why_ you're doing this again?" Naruto asked for the umpteenth time. After the upheaval at the café earlier, he had decided to tag along with his two teammates to try and shake some sense into Sakura. Truly enough, Konoha was never as lively as when the medic and her fits were there to spice things up, only now, sparring (or likely fighting like lionesses by the looks of the situation) with one of their close companions' girlfriend, moreover a kunoichi member of an allied village, didn't seem like a very bright idea.

But Sakura was as hell bent on this as she had been on dating her prince-charming Uchiha back when she was a bold, careless twelve-year old. Deterring her from this fight appeared like an impossible enterprise when she was plodding so determinedly towards training ground 10 after having grabbed all needed weaponry at her apartment in preparation for her duel with Karui, even for a prodding, relentless Uzumaki.

"For the last time, Naruto" The pink haired kunoichi was still striding ahead of her two teammates, attracting many gaze as she went –it wasn't every day that the civilians of Konoha caught sight of the village's new generation of Sannins after all, especially since the war. "This is personal" Sakura finished curtly.

"B-but! Did she actually insult you or-?"

"It's because of me, isn't it?"

The blond was cut off by his rival's simple tone. They had reached the bridge leading to the training area and stopped in the middle of it. Sakura only half-turned her body to look at the Uchiha behind her, a cocky smile playing on her lips despite the apparent crease of her eyebrows "You're getting big-headed, aren't you? Everything doesn't revolve around you, Sasuke-kun."

"Sakura" his blank voice was imperturbable, never so easily fooled it seemed, though even Naruto had noticed the fakeness of her smile, too tense to be honest.

Without budging, Sakura cast her eyes to the water flowing beneath the wooden bridge for an instant. Then she looked back straight into Sasuke's, a steely resolve behind vibrant emerald "It's my concern."

"Don't fight _my_ battles" there was a sternness in Sasuke's voice that almost appeared menacing. The confused Naruto could only guess that this was yet another conversation in the two's 'bubble' where he wasn't allowed; and for once, his usually hazardous instincts couldn't have been more spot on. Sasuke remembered her words vividly, how she wished to bear the weight of a red and white fan on her back… but this, a battle for _his_ clan's name was not hers to fight.

The noise her feet made when she heavily planted them on the wooden planks of the bridge had Naruto jumping. Sakura had turned to face them now and appeared quite visibly annoyed with her boyfriend "I thought you would know that by now," she said severely "there is something that I hate even more than being underestimated or insulted, and it's when people badmouth my loved-ones." She saw the flicker in Sasuke's eyes which let on the slightest of his surprise. In conclusion, she added before starting to walk again "You can ask Naruto what happened to the last one who dared call you names."

Onyx orbs flickered to his chuckling, blond friend "Yeah…" Naruto grinned a bit dumbly "Sai could tell you in more detail!"

Obviously there wasn't much more the two could say to stop her from fighting but at least it made a little more sense now and Sasuke was reassured; she wasn't fighting for his clan and there was _no way_ she would lose this duel.

The path ended in a vast clearing equipped with a few shuriken targets attached onto tree trunks. It wasn't team seven's former training ground but Sasuke remembered along the road that Sakura had once babbled about how Tsunade couldn't train her in dodging and evading where the river coursed, so he could only guess this had been the usual place. It barely surprised the three upon arriving to find a small crowd assembled by the trees, some curious civilians, unfamiliar genins and chuunins –both of Sakura's companions couldn't help but notice the great proportion of men among them, their mood suddenly turning sour. Karui was already waiting with her sword in hand on the opposite side of the grounds, seemingly more calm before the storm of the battle would begin.

Sakura gave a confident look to her two teammates, urging them to join the fretting Chouji among the spectators. Each with a nod of their own, they departed towards the Akimichi who instantly wanted to relieve some of his stress.

"W-what should I do?" he inquired, fidgeting with his hands like a panicky ten-year old. He lowered his voice "I'm worried for Karui but if she knew that she'd murder me!"

Naruto placed a hand on his friend's shoulder sympathetically "Don't sweat it, your girlfriend will be fine."

"Y-You're saying this but what if it were Hinata…" muttered Chouji.

The jinchuriki clearly heard it though and let out a hearty chuckle "C'mon! My girl's kickass-ttebato! 'Specially when she's angry!"

Chouji's voice turned into a strangled whisper "But to beat Sakura who's on par with you guys…"

"Hn" Both boys whipped their heads towards Sasuke who stared proudly at Sakura as she adjusted her combat gloves.

Seeing the smirk playing on his rival's lips, Naruto gripped tightly on Sasuke's shoulder with his other hand "Come again, teme?" he seethed behind clenched teeth.

' _Sakura is the strongest and you all know it.'_ The raven haired young man voiced none of his thoughts and simply looked on at the soon to be battlefield "It's about to start" he announced blankly.

Indeed, Sakura and Karui were already positioned exactly ten meters away in front of each other and making the shinobi duel sign. Silence suddenly ruled over the previous clamor of the spectators making their bets and comments. All observed, waiting; and the referee, a volunteer chuunin picked earlier from the crowd, slashed down the air with his hand "Begin!"

Yelling, Karui sped towards Sakura and closed the distance between them in an instant. She drove her long sword in a lateral upward blow that Sakura merely dodged by jumping back. Then the medic used her feet's fulcrum on the ground to lunge at her opponent like a distended spring. Karui was spinning around, but she saw Sakura's attack in time and blocked with her katana. The pink haired kunoichi cringed –she had been careless. Had Karui not used the flat of her blade in her haste she would have been in a bad position, though now it gave her a new opportunity. Sakura seized the blade in her hand –a very bold move that made her friends' eyes widen back closer to the trees- with enhanced strength, she pulled it downwards and used the support to rotate her body and throw a backward kick that hit Karui in the jaw and sent her to the ground on the left.

Chouji gasped audibly, his hands on his cheeks in horror, but neither girls paid heed. "Raaaah!" Karui roared as she jumped back to her feet using one hand and attacked with the same lightning beam slashes as earlier, only more numerous, coming one after the other. Sakura leaped aside, rolled and evaded graciously, never once receiving a scratch or the slightest bit of dirt on her clothes as the attacks left damage among the trees behind her opposite the audience. When the last beam arrived her way, Sakura infused chakra into her legs to jump high enough so she could take the next initiative.

The medic somersaulted in the air, her right fist glowing bright green "Shaanaaaaarooooo!" The Cherry Blossom Impact created a mini-scale but nonetheless devastating earthquake with the spot where Karui had been an instant before as epicenter –the Cloud kunoichi had jumped away just in time, parrying the flying fragments of earth as best as she could with her katana. She infused it with lightning chakra when she had to slice the last bits flying her way as well as ward off some kunai Sakura had thrown from behind the dusts covering the field. With her guard open, Karui couldn't block Sakura's next attack when she appeared out of nowhere, the speed of her movement dispersing the dust around them, and chained rapid punches with an upward kick that had the red head flying several meters in the air.

Unable to recover her fall in time, she plummeted down like a rock, letting out a strangled whimper –much like Chouji who was all but cutting off the blood circulation in Naruto's good arm by that time. Sakura was still at the ready; she knew it wasn't over yet.

Karui stood up more laboriously this time, but when she did, she adopted a different battle stance: instead of a traditional long sword guard, she took a backhand grip on the handle of her katana with both of her hands. Intrigued, Sasuke narrowed his eyes from afar. As a short sword master, he was used to this type of guard, but the advantage of it was to enable rapid, nimble strikes, something his trusted chokuto was cut for. A long katana like Karui's however, was normally much too heavy and unpractical for this kind of combat; not to mention that her two-handed grip on it was absolutely unheard-of. Then again, this girl was none other than Killer-B's student; and remembering the rapper's original sword techniques, Sasuke could only wish for Sakura to be fast on reacting, for she did not possess the sharingan to predict her opponent's movements.

The medic seemed indeed quite puzzled by this new approach, but she wouldn't let Karui take the ascendant so, kunai in hand, she ran towards her ready to strike while the Cloud kunoichi awaited. Karui didn't stay rooted on her spot for too long; as Sakura attempted a diagonal kunai strike, she angled her sword in the opposite direction to fend it off and then spun around at such speed that Sakura couldn't use it as an opportunity to strike her back. The blade arrived level with Sakura's neck; the medic bent down. But then Karui spun again, even faster this time; and Sakura received a deep cut on her left shoulder. She spun again, again, fast as a violent whirlwind. One strike low, aiming at her opponent's shins, then up towards her chest; although she evaded and blocked to the best of her abilities with her small kunai, Sakura couldn't remain unscathed under such conditions.

Sasuke observed in awe. The Cloud kunoichi's footwork wasn't anything like he had seen before: as improbable as it might seem, she was as much like a ballerina as like a hip-hop dancer, a mix between precise grace and rebounding leaps. It reminded him too much of the time he had fought Killer-B, and of how he had ended up afterwards, most of his blood gushing out through gaping, lethal wounds, dead for sure hadn't it been for Karin's presence.

Sakura wasn't much better off than he had been then. She attempted a counterattack with a right hook, only to retrieve her fist in a rush when Karui's sword came swinging by dangerously close; but then she made a good move, using her recoil to drop to a crouching position on the ground and give a circular kick at Karui's legs. The red haired woman staggered and Sakura didn't lose an instant to throw her kunai, dripping with paralyzing poison at her. Karui couldn't avoid it well enough and received a thin cut on her shin. Regardless, before Sakura could attack again, she charged her katana with electricity, this time planting it into the ground with a ferocious battle cry. Large streams of lightning erupted from that spot and came towards Sakura before she could even gasp. She yelled out in pain as she was electrocuted before Sasuke's very eyes, then fell, muscles twitching, smoke lifting above her skin.

Naruto had the good thinking of shaking himself free of Chouji's grip just in time to restrain his best friend, otherwise, Sasuke would have most likely blasted off towards Sakura with his full mangekyou skaringan and Susano'o activated –if the look of utter shock and horror on his features was anything to go by, that is, though Naruto hardly doubted his instinct.

The metallic clatter of a blade hitting the ground was heard. Panting, Karui toppled down with it still firmly in hand. She couldn't stand anymore with her leg paralyzed but all the same, her face displayed a sneer that screamed 'you deserved it' as she looked at Sakura's fallen form. Then she gazed at the referee who still hadn't stopped the encounter. What was he waiting for?

Pain shot through her senses at once. Karui's eyes widened in shock. One, two more sharp stabs. Each of her legs and arms had just been hit by some kunai. She whipped her head that she could still move towards where the pink haired girl had laid; she was standing now, not twitching, not burnt by her raiton technique, the cuts all over her body even seemed less deep. Sakura walked slowly towards her, a black symbol that looked like a flower on her forehead regressing into an indigo diamond. "You did good, but I still had a few tricks up my sleeve" she said, cynical if not for the utter blank tone of her voice. Though a smile appeared on her lips as she pointed to the seal on her forehead and continued "I can't really die as long as I have chakra, you see."

Sakura was now right in front of the immobilized Karui. Back to her serious stance, she crouched, swiftly drew a kunai from her back-pouch and placed it at her opponent's throat "Give up?"

Karui growled and glared in response. Looking stern, Sakura spoke without the animosity of before "Let me tell you something. What you reproach of Sasuke-kun, I mean, the conversation we had earlier: I had the same one with the Raikage." The red head's eyes widened in utter shock but Sakura didn't stop there "You can't hold spite against an avenger (that's what he was, Sasuke-kun) because then you become the same as what you despise."

Sakura glanced at the referee. Aghast after such a fight, he shakily declared the match was over. Chouji ran to his girlfriend, almost in tears with his nerves all but shattered, and while he sunk on his knees beside the still glowering, but silent Karui, Sakura fished a phial from her pouch and tossed it at him. "It's the antidote for the paralysis poison so she'll be able to move in about ten minutes. She might be a little numb afterwards though, sorry." Chouji dismissed her apology with an eager nod of thanks and clutched the tiny bottle in his chubby, large hands as though it were the Holy Grail.

Naruto and Sasuke were already beside her before she could walk towards them.

"Man, Sakura-chan, you scared us back there!" exclaimed the blond.

"Really? You guys know about the Creation Rebirth technique though, right?" As she said this, the pink haired girl brought a glowing green palm to the cuts on her right biceps and torso after having already healed her shin.

Then she caught Sasuke's gaze; he was stern, sinister even, but all she found to answer this expression was a confused murmur of his name. He said nothing, merely averted his eyes and turned towards the path with a nod of his chin which Naruto took as their cue to leave. They didn't make it very far, but by the time Sakura looked as though she hadn't just fought against a high level kunoichi, the whiskered young man mumbled an apology when he saw a clock behind a shop's window "Agh! Damn, seven already? I was supposed to be at the Hyuuga compound fifteen minutes ago! Hiashi-san's gonna lecture me again!"

"Are you taking Hinata to Ichiraku's tonight as well?" Asked Sakura, covering up her amusement with a moody pout "She's not gonna be able to stand the sight of ramen if this goes on!"

Naruto paled "No, no! That'd never happen but…!" he cursed again, looking back at the eastern street behind him as though expecting his future in law to come running with a gigantic axe in hand, ready to chop his head off "I-I really gotta go! I'm officially meeting her family tonight so I can't afford to be more late than that!"

"Oh, I see" Sakura opened rounder eyes in surprise as the blond started walking towards the crossroad "Good luck!"

Naruto grinned sheepishly and waved before dashing away. Sakura laughed when the dot of bright orange disappeared amid the crowd "I hope it all goes well" she said, turning back to the way of her apartment with her other teammate at her side.

A grunt.

Sakura glanced his way, a smile still on her face and babbled on some more about Naruto, what they should have for dinner, what they would do afterwards… –he never gave more than one word replies or nods but the kunoichi didn't mind at first- then she brought up the topic of her fight with Karui, how her behavior had annoyed her and how she hoped Sasuke understood why she had wanted to blow off some steam -he stopped giving any sign that he was even listening to her at all. Really noticing the abnormality of such attitude just now, Sakura attempted to call his name only to be cut off when the young man opened his lips to speak all of a sudden "We're here" he announced; and true enough, before them already stood Sakura's building set ablaze by the fading orange sunlight.

"Oh" Sakura couldn't help but breathe out. She tentatively reached for his fingers, ended up merely grazing them with hers when Sasuke bypassed her towards the stairs and this time, the irritated kunoichi pouted and carried on talking despite his back being turned to her as he walked up the stairs "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong or do I have to play the guessing game?"

Sasuke froze, sighed a low "Hn" and moved to take one more step, but that was without counting on Sakura's hand gripping the back of his shirt. Onyx eyes found hers when he looked over his shoulder; they attentively observed the displeased expression on her face but stopped on a particular feature that made Sakura blush in embarrassment. It was her enormous forehead, the one thing she had always had complexes about.

Then the kunoichi blinked in surprise when Sasuke's dark eyes turned darker, piercing like a blade. "Don't use that technique again" he demanded.

"What?" Sakura had a second of confusion before understanding hit her. She hurriedly climbed up a few steps to be level with Sasuke instead of having him towering impressively over her "You mean, the Creation Rebirth?" she touched her diamond seal with the tip of her fingers as the words left her. "But, I'm okay, you know! It's not so dangerous that I can never use it!"

"You said it shortened your life-span."

Oh. He actually remembered that. "Well, yes but…"

"Then don't use it. Unless it's a question of life or death, like you promised Tsunade."

Now he was using that implacable tone. Ouch. Sakura almost cringed. A battle against a talented swordswoman of the Cloud was nothing compared to arguing with Uchiha Sasuke, but at the mention of her master an idea came to her and she ran to catch up to her companion on the outside landing of the first floor. "Wait, do you even have an idea how many times Tsunade-sama used that technique?"

"Hn."

"You'd be surprised!" Sakura exclaimed, not exactly looking at where her feet landed on the stairs as her bright eyes were fixed on the stone-faced Uchiha. "And she used it for way worse than a few burns! What I'm saying is that it's not really that bad that I activated the technique against Karui because my injuries were rather superficial though they had to be treated immediately in order for me to stay in the fight. Besides, I deactivated it right afterwards so I could heal myself manually, you saw it, didn't you?"

Sasuke was silent but clearly listening intently judging by the thoughtful look on his face. Sakura closed her eyes and smiled "See? I know exactly what I'm do-AAaaah!"

That was a close call. Sasuke caught her wrist just when she had been about to fall backwards in the stairs. Blushing and muttering an embarrassed "thanks", Sakura climbed the last few steps and reached her apartment door with Sasuke at her heels.

"You know what you're doing, _right_?" He simply couldn't resist the temptation to ridicule her, could he? Even with her back facing him, Sakura could literally hear the smirk in his voice.

"Shut up!" She childishly retorted "You got my point."

"Hn." And now he sounded amused. What could she do with this man, honestly?

Rather irritated, Sakura kept pouting while her hands worked to open the door without looking at the handle "Idiot! You're the worry-freak between us two so don't go making fun of me when I'm explaining things to you!" Click. Click. What's this? The door wasn't closed? Without a mind for it, Sakura pushed it to come in while staring back at Sasuke and waving her finger in the air for emphasis in her lecture "You know next to nothing about medical ninjutsu and I'm willing to bet you don't have any idea how my seal works anyway," (why was Sasuke making such a weird expression all of a sudden? The girl carried on talking while turning to look inside her apartment) "…or how it was formed for that matter so-"

"Sakura! Finally you're here, sweetie-!"

Both female voices were cut in their speech. Still on the doorstep, Sakura opened wide eyes upon discovering the blonde woman in her living room, one she recognized very well since she was wearing a white, long qipao dress over brown pants, with familiar circles on the former.

"Mom!" The pink haired girl could only exclaim in surprise.

But now Mebuki Haruno was staring at the doorway, more precisely at who stood behind said doorway: a confused, immobile, out of place, unknown young man whom her daughter had obviously been lecturing. The woman blinked a few times before breaking into a grin that left the two at the door more than perplexed. Then, as Sakura had just about recovered her voice, her mother burst out laughing, calling "Kizashi! Come here, Sakura has a surprise for us!"

From the kitchen surged a man with bits of sauce on the side of his lips. His unorthodox hairstyle was immediately noticeable, in the shape of a star or, more likely, faded pink sakura petals. His tanned face was in the jovial expression of a carefree man, wrinkles appearing next to bright, small green eyes that Sasuke found familiar. But the next instant his mouth opened wide and he dropped something –a potato chip or else- when those eyes landed on the young shinobi's form behind his daughter.

After a while, "Wow!" was all he found to respond. A loud chuckle, then he said "See Mebuki, we were wondering about the bags in the living room!"

Blushing a darker pink, Sakura didn't dare glance back at her companion, frozen stiff behind her but nonetheless urged him to come inside so she could close the door. When he did, she hastily took off her shoes at the entrance and plodded towards her parents, throwing out some rapid greeting before asking in all her confusion "Mom, dad, what are you two doing here?"

"Well," Mebuki began with a wannabe-wise demeanor that screamed 'Sakura' to the Uchiha observing from afar "You said you'd invite us some time in the week but…"

"…We thought it'd be more practical if we invited ourselves instead!" Finished Kizashi, grinning like a child, the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth becoming more visible.

Sending a scolding look at her husband, Sakura's mother continued "What he means is that we don't wanna bother you to make a big dinner when we can cooperate just as well."

"Like a picnic!"

Mebuki nudged her husband in the ribs this time, something not exactly discreet but which passed anyway as the man smiled again to inquire towards Sasuke who still hadn't spoken a word "Hey you, come closer, we won't eat you, you know! Though I have to admit I have a voracious appetite right now!" He made gestures with his arms and hands as he said this last bit in a monster-like tone, those of the kind who made small children laugh. Sakura sighed and blushed all the more, gazing over at Sasuke. What idea would he get of her parents if they actually made it through this?

When the Uchiha was close enough in front of the bar where everyone stood, Kizashi exclaimed "Ah! I recognize you! You're that guy who informed us Sakura was going on a trip! You were there to see her off too, weren't you? The one who was fighting with Naruto!"

The fact that this raven haired young man had actually taken Sakura on _his_ trip and not been a mere spectator to the scene seemed to escape Kizashi entirely, though Sasuke couldn't help but notice that Sakura's parents seemed to be acquainted with his blond rival. Nonetheless, blank as much in demeanor as in tone, the shinobi replied "I'm Sasuke Uchiha…" then he remembered to add "…pleased to meet you."

Sasuke distinguished a small flicker of shock in Mebuki's eyes as he scrutinized Sakura's parents to make sure of his first impression. It was gone the next when the meaning of such surname had registered in her mind and both smiled before Mebuki dragged her daughter into the kitchen to prepare some dinner.

Of all things, Sasuke had somehow managed to forget that he would someday have to properly meet his –hopefully- future in laws; although what with all his struggles about Orochimaru and his past, as well as Sakura's recent fight, he had had tons of other things on his mind. It was only with Naruto's allusion of a dinner with his girlfriend's family that the idea had briefly encountered his thoughts, transient however, with his more pressing worry for Sakura's well-being at the time. But now he was sitting at the table behind the couch in the living-room –more appropriate for guests than the small one against the kitchen wall or the bar- with Sakura's father in front of him asking tons of questions.

"-Oh, I'm Kizashi Haruno by the way, not sure if you had gotten that. And my wife is Mebuki. You can call us by our first names if you want!" He suddenly announced in the middle of his cross interrogation. Sasuke figured maybe he should have started with this instead of questioning him about what he did in life, how old he was exactly (birth date included) or what his hobbies were, but he had also known this man long enough (fifteen minutes or so) to find out he was the type of extremely easy-going person who cared little for organization and order. The perfect opposite of him.

"Dad!" Sakura came trotting by the table on her way to her room just at the right time to prevent Kizashi from furthering his inquiries "Stop bothering Sasuke-kun and go lend a hand to mom while I'm gone!"

The man's weak protests didn't last long after his daughter sent him a look that wasn't to be taken lightly. Once he was away, Sakura's expression turned apologetic as she gazed at Sasuke and whispered "I swear, I had no idea!"

He waved it off and let her go change out of her worn mission gear. She reappeared a few minutes later wearing jeans, a simple, white T-shirt with a casual, light red, open sweater over it and a short, gray, petal-patterned scarf, probably to hide the mark on her neck that her Mao-collar couldn't shield from view anymore. Soon after, all four were seated at the table to eat a homey dish of fish and vegetables –Mebuki had commented that Sakura didn't keep her fridge well supplied but the pink haired girl had merely replied that she couldn't have when she was away on a journey. Things went rather smoothly for Sasuke for the very simple reason that, when you had three Harunos seated at the same table for a prolonged lapse of time, there wasn't much room for any verbal intervention. They started off talking about Sakura and Sasuke's trip whose narration she managed while omitting any and all compromising details at the profit of descriptions of marvelous landscapes and emphasis on how nice the people had been in the Wave and Suiden. This alone covered a great part of the evening to the end of the main dish; but then came a time for more…juicy details.

"So, how serious are you two exactly?"

"M-mom!" Sakura stuttered as a dark blush spread on her cheeks.

"Oh come on! Harunos aren't shy, Sakura! You can tell us!" her mother continued, smirking playfully. "It's not like we're clueless either. You went on a trip with such a handsome young…"

"Mebuki" Kizashi's serious tone surprised the very silent, barely blushing Sasuke "Please, don't put things that way!"

The woman let out a chuckle, leaning back on her chair. Kizashi took it as his cue to drive the conversation somewhere else "Anyway! Sasuke looks like a very respectable young man! Right, boy?"

Sasuke gazed up from his food. Was he supposed to say something now? "…Yes…" Sakura gave him a funny look. What else could he answer!?

But Kizashi continued anyway, jovial despite this hesitant if not blank reply "Good! Good! Now you said you were an Uchiha. I remember when I was still in the academy (dear, that doesn't make me look young!) I had a couple classmates from your clan. You guys have a weird power…with your eyes, I think it was…"

"The sharingan."

"Yes, that!" Kizashi exclaimed when Sasuke uncovered the name of his 'weird power'. "I never actually got to see it, could you show me?" he asked this question with puppy dog eyes so shiny that the younger man couldn't help but glance at Sakura for the umpteenth time this evening with how it reminded him of when she would ask if she could go buy some deer antler powder at a shop. Family traits…

Inwardly shrugging, Sasuke let the pitch black of his eyes fade into crimson red, the tomoes spinning in the irises until they settled in place, gaze piercing.

Kizashi clapped once "Wow! Impressive! And what can you do with those?"

Sasuke explained the workings of the three tomoe sharingan while Kizashi listened with childish excitement. If all he had to do to win their approval was this, he guessed he could get along with Sakura's parents well enough. Besides, not only was it easy but there was a kind of…conviviality among the Harunos that Sasuke didn't remember experiencing in his own family before. No, this wasn't the right way to put it. He had definitely been comfortable and at home before those days came to an abrupt end, much more than ever in the years that had followed until recently, but with the Harunos it was just…different.

After a while, Sasuke was done answering Kizashi's numerous questions and Sakura got up to take care of their finished dishes. The older man laughed heartily, visibly pleased by his new knowledge –though what use he would have of it, Sasuke could not point out, since he had probably just asked out of curiosity.

"Well boy," he said, patting his belly with one hand and leaning on the table closer to Sasuke with the other "you seem fit to protect my daughter and a very nice young fellow at that!"

"I don't really need to be protected dad, both Sasuke-kun _and_ _you_ know that" Sakura cut in, her tone flippant but with particular accentuations so that the implications of a negative reply appeared clear to all.

"Of course, dear!" answered Kizashi, flashing an innocent grin before winking at Sasuke "Now I just have to meet his parents and you'll have my blessing!"

The deafening clatter of shattering porcelain resounded louder than a bomb's detonation in the room. Sakura had dropped the plates in her hands in utter shock, but didn't care in the slightest about getting hurt or the mess as she whipped her head towards the table to discover Sasuke's reaction. He was staring fixedly at her father though his eyes were glassy and void of light like a corpse's, only a bit wider for a split second before they recovered their normalcy.

"Sakura!" Kizashi and Mebuki exclaimed from opposite sides of the apartment as the older woman had already carried her share of the dishes to the kitchen and consequently not heard her husband's declaration.

Breathless and in terrible shock, Sakura paid no heed to the shattered plates at her feet, instead slowly opening her mouth to scold Kizashi like never before; but Sasuke beat her to it, speaking low, facing the table, livid "Their graves were never built back after the village was destroyed. I wasn't around to keep the procedure going."

Now Kizashi realized his awful mistake. Sakura suspected he would say something to apologize, or worse, comment on the Uchiha massacre to try and grasp at straws but it wasn't her or anyone else who prevented a tragedy this time; the doorbell did.

Sasuke got up from his chair looking at nothing but ahead of him "I'll go." He hadn't even entirely disappeared from the room when the glowering Sakura began muttering heated reproaches at her father. Mebuki came back from the kitchen with a broomstick to clean up the mess then joined her daughter who was giving a hushed earful to her husband at the table. Before she could entirely grasp the 'gravity' of Kizashi's newest blunder –after years of marriage, she was used to having him do one at least twice a day- Sasuke called for Sakura from the hall. The fury painted all over her face vanished the instant the pink haired girl looked up to find him making his way back into the living-room with two very familiar figures in tow: Naruto and a young woman who looked incredibly short pressed against him, wearing a fine, white and purple, silver-lined kimono, her long, ink black hair done up in a sophisticated bun and her pearl eyes reddened by the sting of multiple tears, Hinata.

The emotionally overloaded Sakura took only enough hurried steps to end up behind the couch before confusion took over her body. She didn't know what questions to ask first "N-Naruto, what's going on? What's wrong with Hinata? What happened?"

The blond reached up to scratch his head with the hand that wasn't around Hinata's shoulders. Not having the heart to answer immediately like he normally would, he gave a shrug that made Sakura feel all the more helpless and puzzled.

"Dear," came her mother's voice behind her. Sakura turned; Mebuki and Kizashi had stood up "We'll leave you for tonight."

"W-what? No! We were…! Dad! And this…!"

"It's okay" Mebuki cut in her daughter's incoherent speech, sensing her distress. She placed a hand on her shoulder "We'll have time for another dinner."

With a smile, she handed the broomstick still in her hand to Sakura and all but dragged a fretting Kizashi by the sleeve towards the front door. With a last sign of acknowledgement to Naruto and a "See you!" to her daughter and Sasuke, she skipped out the door.

Such a rapid succession of events had Sakura unable to wake up from her shock until she heard the faint sniffle of Hinata in Naruto's arms. One, two steps and a shriek. Of course, without slippers on she simply _had_ to step on the broken porcelain still on the floor. Now, her feet bleeding and a broomstick in hand, what could Sakura possibly do to sort out this mess of a day?

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Hi everyone! I hope this made up for the wait! It's more than 6,000 words long!^^"_

 _I'm sorry I can't update as often as before but I promise I'm still working hard on this story! I won't leave it uncompleted!_

 _Special mention to N.I.N.T. for her awesome (long) reviews! Also thank you guys for all your support, I'm amazed every time I see the numberof views, reviews, etc going up and up! Cookies to all!_

 _About this chapter: I tend to borrow a lot of fighting moves I saw in anime for this fic...This time I took Yato's from his fight against Bishamon in Noragami (the backward kick in the jaw after lowering her blade aside)!_

 _I was also dying to write Sasuke's meeting Sakura's parents! Tell me if it was as you predicted or even worse! ;)_

 _'Till next time~_


	41. No Home - Chapter 40

_**FLY AWAY – No Home**_

 _ **Chapter 40**_

"Shiiiiit !" Sakura let out a high-pitched half yell as she instantly lifted her foot up and bonded on the other towards the couch, mumbling colorful words under her breath.

"Sasuke-kun, could you please-! In the bathroom cupboard-!" She mustered between heavy exhales and inhales as she struggled to keep pain and reflexive tears at bay. Reaching the furniture of salvation, she sat, still in panic and keeping a green-glowing palm under her badly cut foot to prevent more blood from dripping on the floor.

"Hn" and he was gone to find bandages. The pink haired girl sighed; thank god she didn't have to explain everything five times over for Sasuke to get it (unlike a certain blond she wouldn't mention).

Thinking of this, Sakura lifted her eyes to the two standing rather astonished by the counter at the end of the hall. "Come over here, just have a seat" she gestured towards the remaining space on the couch on her right. After a few seconds' pause, Naruto nodded, somewhat uneasily and guided his girlfriend towards said spot while she was still looking down at her clasped hands.

Silence inevitably followed with Sakura stubbornly trying to heal her foot faster than medical laws would normally allow and finally be able to help her friends who stayed unusually quiet at her side. The awkwardness was far from over however, as Sasuke returned with a roll of bandages; he would have crouched down to wrap them around Sakura's foot, had actually been in the process of doing so judging by the slight twitch of his body, but he caught himself right in time for it to seem like he had never even hesitated to hand her the bandage roll. The small amused smile on Sakura's lips told him she knew better.

"Ugh" the pink haired medic then sighed as she proceeded to the task herself. "This can't be good, can it?" she inquired towards her friends.

Naruto's eyes traveled from Sakura to Sasuke –the latter was standing by the couch just behind the medic, not even leaning on its side, impassive as always- then blue orbs returned to Hinata's form and observed what had been her constant condition for the past hour: Distressed, gloomy…her body was almost crooked into a ball against his side and she wouldn't let her gaze meet any of her friends'. Maybe she behaved as such out of shyness now that it wasn't just the two of them anymore, though Naruto suspected something else, worse than embarrassment. Shame.

Sakura was done wrapping her bandage when he finally looked back at her to inquire "Well…Actually, I was just gonna ask if Hinata could maybe…stay here for a while?"

This request and deep –very much unusual- tone combined made Sakura's eyebrows lift in surprise.

"Alright sure," she replied with doubt in her voice "but can I ask if everything's okay? You two don't look in the best of moods…"

Naruto's gaze darkened and it flicked downwards only a second, so that his female teammate wondered if she should have questioned him at all. But no, it was unlike her to stay out of her friends' business when they obviously needed her assistance. Besides, seeing Hinata's still teary eyes, lodging didn't seem like the very best she could offer at the moment.

"Guys, I just want to help as much as I can" Sakura declared, honest "If there's something more you need, just tell me."

"Thanks…You see…we…" The blond left his mouth open, about to add some more after lengthily analyzing his girlfriend's stance, but surprisingly she beat him to it, voice small though amazingly steady considering her state "Naruto-kun had dinner with my family tonight."

Sakura leaned a little towards them on the couch, tone encouraging "Yeah, he told us."

"It didn't go well" Sasuke said matter-of-factly, a statement truly, because he wouldn't bother inquiring when he had all the proof necessary to draw such conclusion.

Naruto mumbled a small "yeah" of agreement then glanced again at Hinata who was nodding silently and asked under his breath "Is it okay if I explain?"

The pearl eyed girl shook her head this time. "I-I'm really the one asking Sakura-san a favor, so I should be the one to give her an explanation…" her quiet voice came out from almost quivering porcelain lips. A short pause during which she uneasily looked up at Sakura for assertion on her words; when she received it in the form of a sympathetic nod, she began.

"My…my father has always been very… s-strict with me, and h-he said… sometimes that I…that maybe I wasn't fit to become the future head of my clan…"

"What!?" Sakura couldn't keep in her cry of astonishment "That's just a stupid thing to say, Hinata! You would be perfect, be sure of that!" This was no empty statement; a genuine resolve showed through every word she said.

"I-I'm glad you think that, Sakura-san," Hinata smiled in the slightest though it vanished the next second "but maybe he simply wishes I would be a little stronger or tougher, like my sister Hanabi…" Shaking her head to dismiss lingering bits of remorse, she continued "A-anyway, I know he is worried about my future, but…H-he started doubting Naruto-kun as well, after everything we've been through together last winter! And all he did in the war! I-I just…I couldn't believe my ears when he said…"

"Hinata" Her boyfriend cut in, feeling the shoulder closest to him start to shake again. He gently placed a hand around it, but she merely ignored the soothing gesture for the time being, keeping her own strength as best as she could.

Voice smaller, but somehow more intense, Hinata plunged her watery eyes into Sakura's "H-He said Naruto-kun was undeserving! A-and he came up with the worst reasons, saying it wasn't right for me to be with someone…o-of 'lower condition', or that the purity of my Byakugan would be lost and…h-he told me it was unbecoming of a clan leader to be so selfish, but at the same time he had expected it from me… I-it was…so unfair of him…to attack Naruto-kun when I…" she whispered the last part, the tight grip of her hand on the fabric of the couch betraying her nervous frustration.

"Oh, Hinata…" In turn, Sakura placed a comforting hand on the dark haired girl's when salty water made the striking white of her irises become shiny crystal prisms.

"I have to admit, I had never seen you so angry in my life" Naruto said after Hinata had turned her head away and onto his shoulder to hide the tears that were threatening to fall anew on her cheeks. It was thoughtful of him to know when to take up her story; and the anger Sakura and Sasuke would have normally expected in his voice was absent, for he was only cautious not to hurt his beloved's feelings further.

"She started arguing with him. I couldn't really say anything because the old grand-pa' would have killed me on the spot with that creepy glare of his, though I kinda regret it now. Hiashi-san…he…" the hand that had been on Hinata's shoulder came up to rest on her head, tensing in her hair. Now the anger resurfaced, not bursting like it usually happened for the blond, but seething just barely underneath "…He disowned her."

Sakura's jaw dropped open and she gasped before bringing a hand over it in shock; even Sasuke's eyes widened for a split second.

"W-why would he do that!? That makes no sense at all!" Asked Sakura, disbelief apparent in her voice.

The spiral symbol on Naruto's shoulder remained the fixed spot of Hinata's gaze even as she lifted up her head only enough to speak "H-he said he wouldn't accept my associating with Naruto-kun…T-that Naruto-kun w-would have to make the best choice on my behalf a-and give me up! B-but…Naruto-kun…h-he doesn't ever go back on his word… and…"

"…I love her" Naruto finished softly, if not slightly pink in the cheeks to betray boyish bashfulness, however looking only at Hinata. The slight heat on their faces was apparent but neither of them two seemed to care, only Sakura blinked, mildly surprised that her knuckle-headed friend would admit to this so easily in public…She was pretty sure Sasuke wouldn't.

"I'm really sorry…" the medic's tone was soft in deep concern for her two close friends' predicament "You two can stay here for as long as you'd like, if the couch would be enough that is. I must have a sleeping bag somewh-"

"Wha- wait! Sakura-chan!" Naruto interjected, visibly caught off guard. "I never…! I mean, won't it be too much for you?"

The pink haired girl tilted her head slightly to the side and a smirk appeared on her lips "You underestimate me, Naruto." She stood to look at him more seriously "Besides, I wouldn't have you separated from Hinata when she actually fought for your sake, dumbass."

"O-oh"' He nodded abruptly, glancing at his girlfriend again then back at his teammate. "You sure it's okay?"

Sakura shrugged, took a hesitant first step with her injured foot and noticed she could walk passably well. Then, eyeing the mess still on the floor, she sighed and took up the broomstick left abandoned leaning against the back of the couch. _'What a day.'_

~O~

The boys had pushed the coffee table further away from the sofa so Naruto could set his sleeping bag beside it while the girls had gone to Sakura's room to change –Sakura never ran out of compliments on Hinata's magnificent kimono, though it remained obvious that she couldn't spend the days to come ambling around in such garments. Having instantly run from the Hyuuga quarters with Naruto in her anger and shock, the pearl eyed girl had had no time to grab either a suitcase or the money she could call her own from the missions she was assigned to. Hinata's bet was that, knowing her, her sister Hanabi will have overheard their conversation and thought of a back-up plan to bring her her things if the situation didn't improve.

Hence, Sakura had to lend Naruto's girlfriend some of her stuff for the time being, though it wasn't as hard on her as on Hinata who hardly ever wore bright colors or tank tops and mostly preferred more covering clothing. Although Sakura was the first to point out the Hyuuga girl's natural beauty, she was also aware that her choice of clothing remained that of a lady twice her age, and for her to blush at the thought of wearing some of Sakura's usual garments –including calf-length jeans, a bit tighter than others, or sleeveless tops, some without a high qipao neckline- which were galaxies away from being called 'indecent', the medic had to wonder what Hinata would think of Ino's wardrobe.

Still, it wasn't long before Sasuke stepped after her into her bedroom and closed the door behind them once they had bid their friends goodnight, wishing to settle matters more properly the following morning. Sakura heaved a long sigh as she threw her sweater with precise aim onto the chair at her desk and crossed the room towards the bed on the right. She began undressing with another low exhale; one of the things that really annoyed her with Sasuke at times was how he would simply ignore the implicit messages of a woman who wanted a certain attention from her man, in this case, an ear to listen to her complaints. Indeed right now, he was simply preparing for bed like her without paying any heed to her frustration.

"You know, I'm kinda pissed at Hiashi-san for what he did to Hinata." There, by putting it plainly there was no other way for him but to listen. Now in the usual T-shirt and shorts that she wore for bed she turned to watch Sasuke slipping under the covers, not really captivated by her confession. Pouting and rather disappointed, Sakura nonetheless continued "I think she's such a great girl…After all, it wouldn't be so bad if she could bring a little change to the Hyuuga clan since they're so stuck on tradition."

Sasuke glanced at her at this point to see if she was going to lie down beside him soon or not so he could switch off the light. Sighing again, Sakura let herself drop on the mattress to sit, a frown over her eyes as they observed her lap in mild annoyance "Just tell me if what I'm saying doesn't interest you."

"I'm listening."

Sakura whipped her head towards the bare-chest Uchiha on the other side of the bed before turning back to her lap with a pink blush dusting her cheeks, though still pouting. Sometimes it was still too hard to believe so, but yes, although he wasn't showing it, he was always listening, always there…

It was finally dark in the room after the pink haired girl had shifted to lie beside her lover. Even in such dimness, Sakura could tell he was still lying on his back while she turned on her side to face him as she spoke "I admit I don't know Hiashi-san very well but even so, I wonder why he would do something like that to his own daughter! All she would do is change the Hyuugas for the better if she could. And with Naruto at her side, she definitely could."

"Maybe that's why he won't have it." Sakura couldn't help but blink when he actually replied, tone hushed, as though in an unspoken request for her to lower her voice as well.

Sakura took it as such as she whispered back "Yeah, but still, it's not a good reason. Actually, there's no good reason."

"Some men think nothing is more important than their clan's honor" Sasuke answered "I used to be like that."

This latter sentence surprised Sakura a great deal for the simple fact that he had chosen to explicitly voice what he would normally let her guess.

"But you've changed" her murmur conveyed worry that his guilt had resurfaced again, though he wasted no time in waving it off with a low grunt which brought a transient smile to her lips before she said "I just hope they can settle this issue real fast. Hinata and Naruto have already been through enough ordeals to be together, so now there's no need for a crappy father to get in the way."

Silence followed and this time, Sakura understood that Sasuke had nothing relevant to reply. She let this peace last a moment, using its smoothness to inch closer to the warmth of him a small way next to her, though not touching yet; then, when her eyelids were half closed and the comfort of the body beside her own brought her enough courage, Sakura found just enough will to speak out what she felt she must.

"About that…I'm really sorry for what my dad said earlier. It was just really stupid." Silence again, but then Sakura felt the flame lit anew by this fresh, enraging memory "I promise I'll make him regret it! He won't get away without a proper apology!" She enforced like a mother guarantying her disobedient child's repentance.

A long hum escaped Sasuke, not quite a closed-mouthed chuckle though something like a quiet sound of contemplation. Surprised was the least Sakura could be after his next statement "…Someone who doesn't know about the fate of my clan is hard to come by."

Staggered, the girl stammered at first "O-oh but-! H-he does know! It's just that he didn't even think before speaking! So stupid!"

"Hmm…" Sasuke let out an exhale from his nose, obviously untroubled by his companion's distress as she kept blurting out apologizes on her father's behalf –the same man she called by all sorts of childish names depicting his idiocy. So impassioned as she was in her speech, Sakura couldn't decipher the slight tinge of amusement in the young Uchiha's voice when he suddenly whispered her name, but because he had turned his head while doing so, she felt his warm breath on her forehead much closer than she had previously thought and froze at once.

"It's alright."

This time she couldn't help shivering at the husky tone. What was that? Sleep or…?

"Sa-Sasuke-kun…?" Sakura cursed her bashfulness for making her stutter.

She heard the fabric of the pillow creasing when he moved his head again to stare at the ceiling and the outline of his nose became visible as her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, so she could take in the perfectly cut profile she had grown so accustomed to, more manly and defined than the boyish rounded cheeks of years ago. Then came a shift of his lips when they opened "Your parents…" –Sakura froze instantly, her ears focused solely on his next words- "…They are… convivial."

"Oh" the sound escaped her before she could even think it. The pink haired girl blinked to shake off her surprise "You think so? …Hmm…yeah, maybe…" what else was she supposed to say! It wasn't like Sasuke would simply blurt out his thoughts like her!

But he did. "I mean, it's just different." His collected voice made it apparent that the explanation he was about to give out was the result of thorough inner reflection; so Sakura felt amused for a split instant, because it was so like him. "I'm not used to this kind of ambience, safe for when I'm with you and Naruto…" –the kunoichi could feel the corners of her mouth tilting up- "…They reminded me of you especially, though I guess it's normal."

"Wha-!?" Sakura tensed, forgetting to keep her voice down in her outburst. What did he mean by that? That she was obnoxious? Loud? Inconsequent?

But before she could say more in her defense a chuckle so short, so low that she hardly had the time to register it left the young man's lips; and then she felt his breath on her forehead again, this time even closer so she thought he could kiss it if only he pursed his lips a little.

"They're welcoming, like you."

"O-oh…" Sakura could only blush in the dark and stutter like an inexperienced, shy pre-teen; which she had long forsaken in the depths of her being but couldn't seem to tame in occurrences like these when every single fiber of her being exhorted her to reach out and snuggle into this man's embrace. How very silly she felt now for becoming so flustered over so little words, although it was his proximity, his familiarity that inexorably drew her to him.

But Sakura refused to appear ridiculous as such in front of him (even in the dark, he was so close!). She shifted, uneasy "Y-you said it was 'different', right? What do you mean by that?"

Silence met her inquiry. His name was uttered in an inquisitive whisper as Sasuke moved to lie on his back once again. Secretly, Sakura mourned the loss of his very close warmth. Though not so oblivious to the meaning of his reaction, she wasted no time in apologizing "I was just asking, but it's okay if you don't wanna tell me. I…"

"Back then…" Sasuke's deep voice cut in, though seemingly not as blank as usual with the slight tint of melancholy laced on the tip of his tongue. This, however, was only to be heard through the lowest tones of his whispered words, but the search became unnecessary when their meaning came to light in the middle of all the intimate darkness bathing the two shinobis "…It wasn't like this with my family."

A hand was clamped to Sakura's mouth as she couldn't hold in a gasp of shock. A second after, she realized that the thin, small fingers actually belonged to her but had to listen all the more intently as the words spilled some more from the mouth she believed would never speak again of such a foreign past.

"I mean…Don't get me wrong, it was…my home" with every syllable a mass of thoughts pushed its way into Sasuke's mind, needing to be released. And it wasn't so hard to do so; surprisingly, he felt in this moment that his voice didn't connect with his mind very much anymore, instead directly linked to the warm organ beating hard within his chest because of the memories flooding his head and his eyes. In this dark room he could picture a lighter one before his closed eyelids, with the sound of dishes being cleaned in a sink nearby, that of pages of a newspaper slowly being turned… "There weren't… any voices…Never such a lively atmosphere."

But then, beside him, was a somehow ragged breathing, and Sasuke understood that his pink haired companion was probably more than a little shocked to have him confess these things out of the blue. His right arm –the good one- had been lying between them until he decided to finally reach for her. "Sakura" he whispered upon touching her cold, uncovered biceps. Either because she understood her lover's hidden wish or couldn't bother to hold back her feelings any longer, the kunoichi scooted closer to his side, resting her head upon his shoulder; and he sighed. Eyes awake though not quite wide, Sasuke silently stared up at the dark ceiling above him.

"Sasuke-kun," he blinked because of the rare shyness that made Sakura's voice unrecognizable in this murmur "i-is it okay if…?" her voice quivered quietly "C-can you…I mean…"

A deep exhale came out from his nose. His eyes slowly closed again. "Tell me."

If it wasn't for her being so close to Sasuke, Sakura's body would have turned into a ball with how she wanted to close herself off from the world in fear of what her selfish wishes could bring about. All he noticed was her head low, gaze so far away from his own.

"I-I…" Sakura swallowed as though this were a herculean task she had yet to accomplish, and there weren't so many left, he knew. "I-I always wanted to…" but then she suddenly shook her head "Agh, no! F-forget it!"

Tired, Sasuke didn't voice the encouragement he wanted to offer. He couldn't, on his own, for the life of him, understand what thoughts Sakura's head contained whereas she always seemed to have a surprising idea or two that left room for her to guess what could preoccupy him. He wished he could hear what she had to say, that she would speak boldly as per normal, though the effort this time seemed to be his to make.

He tilted his head a bit lower so that pink locks pooling on the sheets were able to tickle his nose; and in the peaceful quietness of it all, Sasuke sighed again, so warm, so close to her, to convey his thoughts "Tell me anything."

A pause. Sasuke should have known by now that Sakura always had the innate talent to surprise him and therefore wasn't supposed to blink in reflex when light giggles left her mouth.

She took in a breath before saying "That sounded so cheesy."

Sasuke grunted. Maybe he should have felt silly.

Then, with the dipping of her head, Sakura's breath next to his collar bone became a cloud of hot, feather-soft vapor. Despite such proximity, flower petal lips were only just grazing his skin; though those lips he clearly felt moving at some point in time halfway between the path to dreams and her overwhelming warmth. Words were unspoken but formed against exposed skin. Sakura sighed, calming the heart that beat against his side, or more like attempting to. A caress of her long eyelashes; she whispered, hardly hearable "How were they…?"

Sasuke felt her eyelashes brush his shoulder again as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, head shifting downwards further away from his face. Any minute now apologies would start cascading down her mouth in a panicky mess. The young Uchiha, however, had to wonder for a second about this: Sakura wanted to know about his family, a topic he had never approached in detail with Naruto who if asked, wouldn't even know what job Sasuke's father had been in charge of despite Uchiha Fugaku's former notoriety as head of the Police Force.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry-!" There, Sakura had already begun by the end of the five or so seconds it had taken him to react.

He said her name again to silence her; unsurprisingly, it didn't work. She was still mumbling as he brought up the hand that had been flat on the mattress behind her until his elbow was bent and his fingers interlaced among thin locks. Finally, Sakura froze at the contact.

"My mother…" Sasuke started; however as soon as those two words left his lips, although they had been steady at first, he found his voice wavering. Was it the memories, the gentle smiles flashing before his eyes or the reassuring tone sounding in his ears that caused him to pause? Perhaps melancholy had snaked its way past his barriers of strength, those built by his sheer want to answer Sakura truthfully; he would not let it linger though, even when his words came out without too much prior thought, merely feelings on this spur instant.

"…She…Her name was Mikoto…Whenever I felt down, she'd be there to encourage me to stand back up. She was gentle…but strict as well…and she had a short temper…" he cringed a little at this last part, recalling an episode when he had dragged Itachi out to play for the umpteenth time, therefore leading to the elder boy's not handing in his homework the next day and receiving extra work to do. Mikoto had given her youngest son such an earful! Sasuke had been forbidden to go out of the house for a week, and that meant absolutely _no_ shuriken practice _at all_. A nightmare. After revision, the young man wanted to complete his statement and add _'like you, Sakura'_ but thought better to keep quiet.

"My father was rather severe, not really talkative" he continued in a tone he thought sounded more normal, his usual blank "and I never really knew what he was thinking. I sought his acknowledgement back then. I never knew if I…if I ever reached his expectations or if because I have strayed so much…" Sakura stiffened against him "…It doesn't matter anymore, I guess. I couldn't compare at the time."

"Compare with what?"

The medic's question came out unthought-of, voice sleepy like a child listening to a bedtime story. So Sasuke let out a breath from his nose "With Itachi." And when her head perked up from his shoulder he merely pulled his hand out of her hair before its weight would tire her more than it already had.

' _What can I say about him?'_ Sasuke asked himself. The truth, maybe "He was unmatched among all shinobis and… Even though I wanted to surpass him before because I was jealous…I was so damn lucky to have him for a brother."

Sasuke could find no more words, having probably just emptied his stock for a while. Sakura had buried her head into his neck as though to hide her face; from what, he could not point out. "You know…" She lifted it only a little at this, barely enough to meet obsidian orbs with her own curious emeralds hidden behind unruly locks. Regardless, he brought two of his fingers up above them to gently tap her half covered forehead "…this was originally from him. I'll tell you more next time."

Sasuke wouldn't have expected what came afterwards. He saw the tears forming in those big eyes glued to his as they enlarged, but before surprise had truly settled in, Sakura threw her arms around his neck to speak almost too fast, too rushed against his neck as though she were strangled by emotion "I really, _really_ love you. You know that, right?"

"Hn." He nodded, slightly hesitant at the almost desperate tone of her voice.

She looked up, though not quite looking at him –the young man thought her cheeks were probably tinted red by now "Sasuke-kun, to have you tell me things like that…it's…it's just…" Her eyes squeezed shut. When they opened once more, a slight pout adorned her face "I love you. I love you so-very- _much_."

And that was all he needed to pull her down for a kiss, one that became all too soon much more than an innocent peck; and by the time air had them forced apart, Sakura felt her lips moist and cold in contrast to the warmth of her face and body. Sasuke seemed intent on pursuing such activities however, as he switched their positions and leaned back down towards her, only to have two hands on his cheeks easing him just far enough so the girl could speak "S-Sasuke-kun, what are you doing?"

Wrong move. A light quirk of his eyebrows told her so as he dove in for her lips again. Captured, Sakura could barely let a mewl escape her while he devoured her even more fervently if possible. As to what he was doing, there was hardly a question anymore.

' _But with Naruto and Hinata next door! And what we just talked about! He just summoned his family's names! We can't'_ No, indeed, they couldn't, but that wasn't about to stop them, for what little resistance Sakura had held onto vanished the moment he touched her cheek most tenderly and kissed her here and there, whispering her name so velvety soft, like a lunatic. She could understand his irrepressible need to convey those feelings, for she had experienced it barely a minute ago; she should have guessed what his response would be the moment the words had left her mouth. Besides, would she actually regret this? No, no…After all, wasn't this the most explicit way he could answer her confession of love?

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Heeey! I hope you like this chapter guys, I thought it was kinda sweet...It's also my first real shot at Naruhina.^^"_

 _Some of you conclmuded from the last chapters that Sakura's parents' didn't actually know about the Uchiha massacre, so let me clarify this 'cause I made it very implicit:_

 _To me, Kizashi (and Mebuki) would have gone to the ninja academy but never actually graduated or gone past Genin rank, which explains how he knew some Uchihas but nothing precise about their abilities. As Sakura said in this chapter, Kizashi **knew** about the massacre but just let something stupid slip from his tongue (it happens to the best of us...). As for Mebuki, it was implied when her eyes widened at the mention of Sasuke's last name that she knew he was the sole survivor of his clan but kept quiet about it, as she is more tactuful than her husband...Yeah, it was implicit!_

 _Thank you guys for all the reviews! It gives me the courage to keep working hard on this story!_

 _Well, see you in two weeks for a bit of drama!~_


	42. Experienced Many Battles - Chapter 41

_**FLY AWAY- Experienced Many Battles**_

 _ **Chapter 41**_

The next morning, Naruto and Hinata were found seated on the couch, conversing about some rather serious topic judging by the blond's frown and low tone while the pearl eyed girl hugged her blanket to her chest. But as Sasuke and Sakura entered the room, the latter with a greeting she had not had the time to take back, Naruto looked up with a smile and spoke out "Hey guys! Slept well?"

Sasuke grunted as he made his way towards the kitchen while Sakura, clearing her throat to suppress a surge of embarrassment, replied "Yeah… I hope the couch was okay, Hinata."

The Hyuuga nodded and Naruto mumbled something about his teammate's lack of concern for him. As soon as he saw her glare on him though, he found a change of topic was in order.

"Err…By the way! You know, last night I heard weird noises on the way to the bathroom. I wonder if it was the neighbors… What do you think, Sakura-chan?"

The poor kunoichi turned her face away to hide the crimson flaring up on her cheeks "I-I don't know, Sasuke-kun and I didn't hear anything!" Though her tone was light, the inner mantra in her head went more along the lines of ' _Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn you, Uchiha! Thank God Naruto's an idiot!'_

Suddenly fidgety, the medic-nin plodded her way to the kitchen where said damned Uchiha had preceded her to make some coffee. Upon being handed a cup, Sakura mindlessly gulped down the liquid in one swallow, only to remember much too late that freshly made coffee wasn't going to be anything but steaming hot. Eyes round in a second, she flew towards the sink. By the time cold water flowed down on her tongue though, she was pretty sure she had lost her sense of taste.

For the briefest moment Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder belonging to a perplex Uchiha. But all too soon, Naruto and Hinata rushed over to peer at them from behind the counter separating the living room and kitchen and Sasuke's touch withdrew, never even seen. However immensely cute such gesture appeared in her eyes and with the present state of her nerves (and her poor tongue), Sakura was still most determined to give her companion an earful later on –she would resolutely _not_ succumb to his cunning ways anymore, even though…

"Naruto," the devil's deep voice cut in her thoughts as their blond teammate lifted dumbfounded eyes up to his rival "You and Hinata will stay at my place."

Okay, perhaps Sakura would have to reconsider.

But Naruto blinked in surprise "Ah? Err, thanks for the offer but Sakura-chan kindly…"

Sasuke turned back towards the coffee machine, his back towards them all. "You _will_ be better there for the time being" the piercing look he threw over his shoulder for emphasis had the blond recoiling in spite of himself.

Defiant as he always was, Naruto was about to spark the fire of his and Sasuke's umpteenth childish bickering. Sakura could only be grateful when Hinata stepped forward beside Naruto and nodded at the raven haired young man "Thank you, Sasuke-san, I think we will take you up on this offer."

Sakura wanted to sigh in relief but then she began wondering why Hinata would agree so easily to move out… _'Oh my god, she couldn't possibly have…heard?'_

"Hum, Sakura-chan, you don't look too good here…" Naruto tentatively remarked.

The pink haired girl sent him an icy glare before waving it off with the scariest smile and suggesting they had breakfast at last. For the minute it took them to pull up enough stools at the bar and grab some toasts and jam, everything was well –albeit slightly tense between the members of team seven. But peace, as the three had come to understand, was not so easily obtainable when you were named Uzumaki, Haruno or Uchiha.

"SAKURA-SAAAAN!" the front door burst open and after a controlled slide on the parquet, the loud newcomer revealed himself to his stunned audience. Square green jumpsuit, bowl cut hair, thick eyebrows: the one and only Rock Lee had just appeared with his mortified teammate Tenten following in tow. His mouth, excessively open in a cartoonish beam and puffing out large amounts of air as well as the sweat rolling down his temple indicating a long run to her apartment would have made Sakura sigh out of habit. After eight years of knowing Lee, this kind of occurrence was no longer a surprise to her; neither was to Sasuke it seemed, as his face stayed void of the slightest emotion, whereas Naruto in exact antithesis, had dropped his jaw along with crumbs from the toast he had been in the process of munching.

Blinking repeatedly, Sakura mustered a perplex greeting "L-Lee…"

"Sakura-san!" he replied too loud, without missing a beat. "I'm so sorry I couldn't come and see you the very day you came back!"

Appalled, Tenten grumbled audibly enough from behind him "We were on a mission across the country…"

"I have _no_ excuse!" The taijutsu expert exclaimed, making large motions with his fist dramatically. Suddenly he punched the air above his head, making Hinata who wasn't so used to his antics jump on her stool, then his fist slowly descended to finally rest over his heart and with tears sparkling in his eyes, he exclaimed, voice strangled by passion "It's good to see your beautiful face again, my delicate cherry-blossom!"

Sakura gulped, not so much because of his words, but as she had noticed his eyes roam up and down her body, merely covered by some tight black shorts and her usual short qipao dress without her belt, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She knew Lee was a great guy who would protect her at the cost of his life, however it didn't mean that he would ever stop being a closet pervert with his cheeks now tinted pink and his gaze quickly meeting hers again.

Hearing nothing but silence in response to his declaration, Rock Lee chained with his usual tirade "Not a day went by without my thinking of you; not a night when I would not see you in my dreams, Sakura-san! But still, now that I behold you in flesh and blood, I can't help but scold myself for picturing your beauty so unfaithfully in my head! You are so much more resplendent and youthful here before me!"

"T-thanks Lee…" the pink haired girl replied before he could continue. She threw a glance at her left when the sound of a stool being pushed was heard and found Sasuke standing up. Intrigued at first, Sakura tried to study his face hidden by dark bangs, though he walked away all too fast towards the coffee machine and she had to repress another sigh.

"We were just having breakfast…" the medic began, trying to be polite.

"Oh, don't bother" Tenten cut in, fast to stop the stars of pure glee shooting out of Lee's big eyes. Crest-fallen, he whipped his head towards his teammate who explained "We still haven't reported our mission to the Hokage so…"

"But Tenten! Sakura-san made such a kind offer!"

"C'mon Lee, isn't it obvious enough?" The weapon master crossed her arms before her chest, pouting boyishly "We walked in on a double date!"

Naruto choked on the last crumbs he had managed to keep inside his mouth; after a second, Hinata's hands shot up to cover her face in hopes of hiding the crimson blush spreading rapidly over her cheeks; stunned at the very least, Sakura blinked repeatedly.

"D-double date!?" she parroted, incredulously looking between Tenten and Sasuke who had just started the coffee machine again, his back still facing them all. But before she even had time to correct her friend; BONK.

Lee had just fallen down on his knees on the hard, tiled kitchen floor. Sakura grimaced at the thought of his poor knees and as any good medic, was about to crouch to help him back up, but once again, his theatric talents surged out: Lee hugged himself tight, almost forming a ball there on the floor, and let out a guttural, loud cry of anguish. The tears at the corners of his eyes were just about to overflow when he abruptly looked up at Sakura, making the size of the watery orbs seemingly double, beady like a frog's.

"S-so the rumors were true" –a dramatic sob escaped his throat- "my dear cherry-blossom?"

More focused on the faint buzzing sound of the coffee machine behind her, the blushing medic stuttered an absent-minded reply "Err, y-yeah. Sasuke-kun and I…"

"Don't say any more!" Lee tilted his head towards the ceiling and shielded his eyes with his forearm in a reckless movement.

Again, Sakura held in a deep sigh. In a predictable way, Lee was an unpredictable person. He bared his feelings to all to the point of being embarrassing, always did so as if he were the protagonist of an old drama show watched by grannies on a Saturday morning, but the order in which he would proceed was always random: throw a pity party on himself first or embarrass his whole audience beforehand? The pink haired jounin didn't care so much anymore after years of knowing the phenomenon; what worried her more at present, and for good reason, was why Sasuke would spend so long over at a coffee machine that normally filled a cup per minute…Was something on his mind? If so, she felt it was her duty to help him solve it out. Adding to this the recent troubling events in their relationship and Sakura couldn't help but fear that doubts were clouding his thoughts again: Maybe he suddenly believed her promise wouldn't be enough reassurance for the future? He could excuse himself out of the blue and walk away for good…-

"…so you must understand that you will always be the greatest beauty in this village, no! On this Earth, no! In this UNIVERSE for me, no matter which man has the benefit of admiring it in every single hour of every single day; because I will keep feeling strong for you, even if it is not me personally, Sakura-san, who has…" Lee kept ranting, oblivious to Sakura's lack of attention as she stared blankly at the cup of coffee in her hands.

-But no, she shouldn't doubt him. After all the love he had given her, all the things about him he had shown and even _told_ her…She was certain of Sasuke's feelings. As much as she had promised what was necessary for him, he had made Sakura an oath to never leave her side forever. He had even spoken it: _"not just yet"-_

"…You are a woman with the finest qualities who has to be treated as such, with the greatest reverence and deepest care, like a piece of art! Because, truly, that is what you are: a delicate flower in full bloom which I…" Lee carried on.

-Now Sakura felt her resolve strengthening. Looking up at last from her almost cold, black coffee, she found the taijutsu expert still gesturing on the floor and stood with a smile, keeping her eyes on him.

"…And because you are such an amazing woman, Sakura-san, I hope you will allow me the folly of saying those few words to you:…"

Sakura took one, then two slow steps backwards towards the coffee machine at the back of the kitchen beside which rested a particular pot– Sasuke had offered her a smooth tactic on a silver platter by leaving her drink sour without sugar, for it gave her a pretext to go fetch some and would allow her at the same time to finally meet her stand-offish companion's gaze. All the while, Lee appeared to be looking for something in the pockets of his jumpsuit. Sakura was halfway to her destination when he literally teleported. Now kneeling much closer to her, the martial artist abruptly extended his arm to prop a shiny item in front her face. Emeralds became extremely round in shock as Lee slid the object onto her left ring finger carefully and said, while she couldn't seem to utter a word.

"…My beautiful Sakura, let me humbly ask you to be my wife."

The young woman didn't remember ever feeling so embarrassed in her whole life –when she had been ridiculously weak during the chuunin exams years ago, when she had first been complimented by a man she hardly knew at the hospital…even when her and Sasuke had their first time… These couldn't seem to compete with the deepest state of confusion presently overpowering every last insignificant muscle in her body, rendering it completely incapable of mere movement; and a deep, almost shameful shade of pink was now lighting her cheeks, the intense heat spreading to her whole being. _'Wh-wha…what!?'_ was the sole thought her mind could process, not nearly able to come up with a suitable answer or to even think that perhaps she should have already sucker punched that troublesome man out of her sight by now. But on second thought, she probably wouldn't have to.

Lee flew out of the kitchen, his back slamming against the wall next to where Naruto's despised piece of furniture was. He stood again using the wall for support, tried to rub the large bump forming at the back of his head but stopped mid-movement when white knuckles almost came in contact with his face again; as per reflex, an arm shot up to block the attack with outstanding speed, yet shook violently from the attacker's sheer strength and will to hit his target.

" _How dare you_?"

The Uchiha-fan on Sasuke's back finally became clearer in Sakura's vision and she really saw him at last, towering over Lee like he would an enemy in an interrogatory –was it any mystery which kind of cop Sasuke always played in these?

Sakura quickly shook herself out of her daze, but she walked instead of running towards the two despite knowing how dirty this could get if the young Uchiha was actually as pissed as his aggressive tone suggested. She couldn't truly believe he was; after all they had been through lately, it didn't seem like he would get jealous of Lee like a silly teen… But then the pink haired kunoichi noticed his teeth bared in a snarl when she came a little closer behind him; and there appeared a cold ferocity behind his voice when he spoke again.

"I'm tired of all your crap: ' _my_ cherry-blossom', ' _my_ Sakura'…"

"Sasuke-ku- aah!" Sakura couldn't finish her sentence when he yanked on her wrist, though not before harshly shoving Lee against the wall. Without meeting her flabbergasted gaze, Sasuke all but threw the golden ring away from her finger and onto the floor, going as far as to stomp on it. Sakura cried his name louder in reprimand only to be ignored.

"She is not yours. She never was and _don't you dare_ imagine it in your future or mark my words, you will have _**no**_ future."

Drama queen spirit, actor skills and even ninja morals cast aside, Lee had the big watery gaze of a scared puppy under the demonic glare of the wolfish, predatory Uchiha, so Sakura felt the need to intervene.

"Would you stop that!" she exclaimed, pulling onto Sasuke's shoulder for him to face her. "Don't be so mean to him! What are you trying to prove?"

Sasuke's eye twitched- then Lee tried to speak "I-I just wanted to ask so…" –and his glare returned to silence the martial artist.

Sakura flashed him a gentle look "It's okay, Lee, I understand. Sasuke-kun is just being immature…"

"Sakura…" the Uchiha growled in warning.

"What?" The kunoichi put her hands on her hips, defiantly returning his scowl since at this degree of annoyance she had not much to lose anymore. Why was he getting so worked up over nothing anyway? It wasn't like…

But suddenly Sasuke grunted out a low "Tch" behind clenched teeth and heavily marched towards the door "Whatever. Come to my place later with Hinata, dobe."

Astonished, Sakura extended a hand to catch up to his retreating back "H-hey, wai-!" SLAM; he vanished behind a violently slammed front door. The pink haired girl stared after him, pouting, absolutely lost, then spun around to face the rest of her friends: Tenten was royally face-palming, trying to shake off the total absurdity of this whole situation and Hinata was still rather red in the cheeks, almost too focused on the task of buttering a slice of toast. As for the boys, Naruto sported a somehow bored look that still managed to stare accusingly into his teammate's soul while Lee had his fist in front of his lips and a pink blush on his face like a young, clichéd school girl in a cartoon.

He was the first to speak again "My dear cherry-blossom, thank you so much for defending me-AGH!"

Sakura had just smacked the bushy eye-browed man up the head, making him crash to the ground on all fours. Rather grouchy at present, she crossed her arms before her chest "You heard Sasuke-kun: no more 'my' when talking about me."

Up on his knees, Lee was about to protest but the kunoichi's death glare proved persuasive enough to dissuade him. The hardness of her features however, dissipated into more of childish pout as she bent down to pick up a certain shiny object still on the floor beside her foot –upon closer inspection, the ring was golden, seemingly old but shiny nonetheless and with a large white diamond on top, probably an heirloom she concluded. The medic handed it back to Lee.

"You didn't want any regrets, right?" he nodded enthusiastically in response and Sakura sighed "Then you understand my answer will be no. I'm sorry, Lee. You're a great guy. I'm sure you'll find someone fitting."

"But my- I mean, Sakura-san!" Lee abruptly stood again for his umpteenth declaration of undying love "Even when I know that…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…Don't you think you've wreaked enough havoc around here already?" Tenten grabbed her teammate's shoulder to push him towards the front door behind them. Lee kept crying for her to let go as she did so with a strength Sakura did not suspect she possessed, but when they reached the threshold and Lee was finally forced outside, Tenten cast the medic an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that. I hope you make up with Sasuke soon." She gave another particularly hard push to keep a green-clad arm from entering Sakura's home again. "Bye!" and she disappeared behind the door only for thunderous shouts to resound behind it the next second.

Sakura instantly turned towards Naruto who jumped, shocked by the utter frustration and soreness painted in dark shades on her face.

"Wh-what?" he asked worriedly, putting his hands protectively in front of his face.

He kept them up as his teammate sighed, walking to slump back onto her stool at the bar and pierce a hole into her cold cup of coffee with the force of her gloomy glare. "I just don't know what the hell happened to Sasuke-kun. You tell me" she all but ordered in the most soulless of voices.

The blond jinchuriki gulped as quietly as years of knowing his hella-scary-but-cute-and-kind-sister-like-teammate had taught him and lowered his hands slowly. "W-well, you can't really blame him."

"Why?" Sakura immediately shot back, frowning up at the intimidated young man seated in front of her. "I never would have expected him to react like that! Sasuke-kun is always so collected –not to mention that Lee is always an idiot- so why would he be so mean to him? That was totally uncalled-for!"

Naruto chuckled uneasily "Maybe he thought you would actually give some thought to Lee's proposal…"

"That's stupid!" Sakura interrupted, slamming her cup on the bar a little too hard. The porcelain shattered and she cursed as dark liquid spread over the wood of the furniture and wetted her half-eaten, previously abandoned piece of toast. The pink haired girl stood up again to grab a tablecloth, sending a scowl over her shoulder at Naruto "I would never have accepted it!…" She lowered her gaze for a second "Ok, that was a little mean, but Lee's just not…! Ugh! You know what I mean! Sasuke-kun just overreacted like one of those silly boys in chick-flicks!"

Sakura returned to wiping the damage on the bar. She looked up from her work however, when Naruto sighed.

"I guess you wouldn't understand, Sakura-chan."

The utensils on the bar jumped two inches in the air when the kunoichi slammed her cloth-armed fist onto its surface. "What did you-!?"

"I-I mean!-" Naruto guarded his face with his hands once again, this time also shielding the poor Hinata who had to follow through all these events in the span of one morning and remained between appalled and poker-faced on her stool. Glancing at the pearl eyed girl, Naruto summoned up his courage to speak loud enough to be heard despite his fear of the volcano ready to erupt right before him.

"I'd react the same if someone actually had the nerve to propose to Hinata in front of me. That's just what men do. Besides, did you not pay attention when Lee went on about how you should be treated like a piece of art? I know Sasuke's got trouble with that and… yeah…W-well, men in team 7 are kinda protective anyway."

Despite his adding a low "I think" as an afterthought, Naruto's words made enough sense for Sakura not to punch him to outer space right then and there. Though still, the matter bothered her for a whole different reason now: would Sasuke be offended by her reaction? Had she just screwed up big time? _'Oh no, no, no! Wait, he didn't even stay long enough to see me reject Lee!'_ What to do now? She had to reassure him, be as cheesy and honest as possible to make sure he understood that he was the only one she ever wanted/needed! The poor kunoichi couldn't help feeling mortified now in spite of the apparent rightfulness of her previous actions. So the great Sakura Haruno, feared by most for her physical prowess and strong character, spent the remainder of the afternoon sulking over a boy and almost getting Tonton squashed in the corridors of Konoha's hospital during her shift, much like those silly heroines in chick-flicks.

~O~

Sakura locked her apartment's door in haste. The morning was a pale yellow, not yet warm in those early hours in spite of the summer now settled in Konoha. Although she hadn't had much time to put on anything better, Sakura chastised herself and reconsidered going back in to fetch a coat that would cover more skin, unlike her usual jounin qipao dress, shorts and knee warmers. But a step resounded on the stairs and the red and white fan on Sasuke's back slowly disappeared as he descended.

"Hey! Wait up!" She called, trotting to catch up to him.

Sasuke hadn't talked to her as much as she had hoped he would in the past two days, nor had his unspoken promise lasted very much. There, on his good shoulder was his traveling bag. She couldn't keep herself from eyeing it once or twice before shifting to his stone features. They were walking towards the gate of Konoha in silence, though her bag this time had been tended to at last and unpacked the night before.

The pink haired girl wasn't so used to Sasuke's cold shoulder anymore. He had opened up so much to her lately, going as far as to tell her about his family… Moreover, being a busy medic-nin and him a hopeless wanderer even within the walls of his home-village, the occasion to clear things out about the incident with Lee had never really appeared. Even when the two were alone after Naruto and Hinata had moved into Sasuke's abandoned apartment, it all just felt too awkward: for Sakura to speak out when Sasuke just stood up to eat his onigiri while fetching some other item across the room, for her to reach for his hand when they sat on the couch and he only had eyes for the blade he was sharpening using a Susano'o summoned arm, for her to want to touch his shoulder just when he turned his back to her in bed… Sasuke only kept avoiding any contact with her at all. And it bothered her more than it should have.

Sakura truly believed they had built an iron strong trust over hardships and happier times, that they could understand each other's feelings well enough so they were connected to one another; but could an event such as Lee –a man who wasn't even a rival to Sasuke- proposing to her weaken this bond so easily? Sakura felt so strong for her one and only love and she knew he did for her too; why else would he want to protect her at all costs or ward off any man who dared approach her too closely? Why would he always be so passionate with her?…

Maybe his flame had dimmed, no longer so bright and unwavering against adversity? Then did it mean that Sakura had added the last straw to make him reconsider being with her? Had she been too bold? Too loud? Too annoying? It seemed silly of her to become so self-conscious like her twelve-year old self used to, but could she really help it at this point? The kunoichi had turned the problem over and over in her head until all thoughts of Sasuke being in the wrong for throwing Lee against a wall and verbally threatening his life had dissipated entirely, instead replaced by her distress at having misinterpreted his 'cute', boyish jealousy for a behavior unbecoming of a soon to be twenty-year old man (all objectivity excluded from her reasoning).

"Sakura."

"Uh, err what?" The medic stopped in her tracks when she noticed Sasuke standing a foot or so behind her on the dirt path. She could see the large doors of the village in her peripheral vision. _'Oh, we're already there.'_

Sakura covered up a weighty sigh with a small smile, her eyes on the road beyond. If she squinted a bit, she would see her own phantom image, walking beside Sasuke towards the unknown on a cold winter morning. Months had passed, along with hardships and tender confessions, kisses she would never forget…But Sasuke wasn't even gone and she was already imagining the feeling of loss when he wouldn't be there to make her feel complete in the solace of his embrace. That is, if he still wanted to embrace her later, when he came back. Or even now.

Sakura turned with a pair of too rounded eyes that startled Sasuke for only a split second –though she still caught the slight upward turn of his eyebrow before his ever serious expression returned. Dazed by the thoughts accumulated in two days, the kunoichi could not bear to hold it in anymore.

"I love you."

This time his eyebrows lifted and stayed up, puzzled by her sudden confession. Hugging her elbows so as not to squirm in anxious waiting, Sakura discovered a new interest in observing the buckle on the strap of his shoulder bag, shining in the increasing brightness of morning. How would he respond? Would he actually respond? She was tiptoeing ridiculously like at the beginning of their relationship, only this time she knew him even better and wanted to believe he would react like he normally did: confess without the need for words.

But then Sakura looked further up and behind his shoulder she saw some villagers strolling about, as well as a group of shinobis about to depart for a mission; behind her in the watchers' cabin, Izumo and Kotetsu were also sure to be found, half-asleep from their long night shift. The pink haired girl hung her head low, this time sighing openly in defeat. _'He'd never do anything in public…'_

A breeze sent a light chill down her spine (because the stupid morning air had to be cold in the middle of summer and annoy her even more!) Sakura wanted to curse but figured she would at least properly face Sasuke to bid him goodbye before he left again for who knew how long…until warmth encircled her. Gently, the young man held her with his lone hand on her nape where he could tickle thin, pink locks, before it descended along her arm…Sakura barely registered his touch in the midst of her surprise, only when he pulled back and stared back at her with warm coal orbs did she remember to close her mouth and blink.

His hand had been holding hers; she only noticed it when his fingers withdrew to tap her forehead instead. "Until next time."

Cheeks flushed a bright pink, Sakura nodded dumbly "Ah, r-right…But wait, aren't you ma-" He had already turned away.

She smiled uneasily. How could he act like nothing happened? How could he make her so unbelievably happy the minute before he left? …In spite of the warmth flaring up on her face, their issue from two days ago still bothered her; and he left her like that, without an explanation or anything more to tell her?

Annoyed –though resolutely happy about his promise- Sakura slapped her cheeks lightly with both her hands to will her blush away. "Ow" she moaned at the slight pain caused by something harder than expected hitting her cheekbone. Confused, the kunoichi extended both her hands before her face in search of anything peculiar but she had to shut her eyes when something directed the sunlight into them. She opened her emerald orbs again, even more bewildered when she found a metallic object on her left hand; silver, sparkling with a fine, elegant, pink diamond on top. A ring.

The light morning breeze could have turned into a storm and thrown her to the ground and she wouldn't have paid heed. Sakura's eyes enlarged impossibly, the small black pupils bulging, failing to provide a clear vision of the band on her left ring finger. She gasped and her mouth sucked in more air than her lungs could contain.

The tears coming to her eyes made her vision even more blurry but she willed them away, just for the couple of seconds it took her to find Sasuke's cloaked back on the road, becoming smaller and smaller as it traveled further away from the gate. And Sakura ran, faster than ever in her life, the muscles in her legs carrying her without as much as the smallest gratitude from her mind; she couldn't have expressed it in such state. They carried her outside the village, regardless of any and all prohibition from the very man she was trying to catch up to. She cried out his name again, again, desperately. At first Sasuke didn't turn around but he probably heard her footsteps when she came within fifteen meters away from him and the priceless look of surprise when he saw her beaming, crying face made Sakura explode in laughter. She laughed her heart out, jumping, arms open for him to catch her.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, I will! I absolutely will!" She screamed in joy over his shoulder as he held her back, desperately trying to keep his balance.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Awww...Does that make up for the long wait?_

 _Let me explain in a few short sentences: Been busy. It's crazy. Almost can't write. Working on different projects + homework = Death._

 _About that, I'd like to thank you all again for your constant support and understanding, I'll never say it enough!_

 _Now, this chapter was kinda fluffy wasn't it? It's not the end yet though! I just wanted to tie up the Konoha part so we'll be moving on to the final chapters of the story..._

 _I hope you enjoyed and "Until next time!" (poke)_


	43. Wandering - Chapter 42

_**FLY AWAY – Wandering**_

 _ **Chapter 42**_

 _Sakura,_

 _I hope you understand I won't be able to reveal my location in these letters. Despite this I'll try my best to keep you informed, else I know you'd worry._

 _I noticed missing-nins tend to assemble along the frontiers unlike before. It must be because of the patrols sent by Hidden Villages ever since the war. I try to clean up these areas with the help of local shinobis. I know no rest now that you've advised me to help around._

 _Sasuke_

This she had found on the leg of a red-feathered hawk, perched upon her kitchen window on a Wednesday evening just about two weeks after Sasuke's departure. The resulting amount of jumping around and squealing was sure to earn her manifold noise complaints from her neighbors, but not only them: Before then, the majority of the remaining Konoha 11 had had their ears overflowed with Sakura's bragging about her engagement ring, and adding to this her new joy at discovering her fiancé had actually sent her a letter for the very first time during his travels was simply murder by proxy from the young Uchiha.

Little did Sakura care as she reread the two short paragraphs scripted in a rushed hand-writing. _'He's so sweet! Writing to me when he's on the roads, busy taking care of rogue-nins!'_ She reasoned, still too light-headed up on her cloud of happiness.

Sakura grabbed the first page of paper at hand, but then thought better and fetched some of her best looking paper, but then it didn't feel natural and so she opted for a plainer sheet. Even then, it took her three tries –hence three more wasted papers- to finally start writing properly.

~O~

"Let me read it! Let me read it! Let me read it!" pried a certain olive eyed girl, holding tightly onto Sasuke's empty sleeve. Haruko wouldn't let go for the life of her so the young man was forced to drag her along as he made his way to his room in the Yasashii Tori Inn. This was where he had decided to rest after a particularly harsh run-in with rogue-nins _and_ Uchiha-hostile shinobis. Without a skilled medic like Sakura at his side, he had been forced to come rest for a little while in the nearest hospitable village he could think of. Only he hadn't expected to find his hawk flying to perch itself on his arm the very instant he met up with Haruko and her brothers at the entrance of Suiden, which eventually resulted in his current situation: her harassing him endlessly to read a private letter which he had not even had the time to open himself.

"Come oooooon!" The chestnut haired girl whined "It's been so long since I last heard from Sakura! You could-"

"Enough." The wooden door was closed in her face. Sasuke pressed his back against it, feeling the vibrations every time Haruko's frail fists hit its surface. He fumbled with the key to lock himself in because, with the poor state his arm was in, his abused muscles had more than one complaint to send throughout his whole nervous system at the slightest movement of his pinky. The bandages messily tied over his ribs the previous day didn't seem to be holding up too well either, seeing how his breathing was become slightly wheezy again. Annoyed in the very least, Sasuke clenched his teeth together and chose to let oxygen in through his nostrils instead. Trivialities could wait; regardless of the cries resounding from the hallway, the raven haired shinobi made his way to sit down atop the lone bed in front of the window, the one he wouldn't be able to share this time.

Sakura hadn't just sent him a letter; there, in his hands, was a square box wrapped in an Uchiha-crested, navy blue cloth. He frowned. This looked a little too gaudy and could easily be hi-jacked by ill-intentioned shinobis, but Sasuke knew she hadn't simply found that cloth: Sakura had sewn it herself.

His thumb caressed the fabric and the young Uchiha sighed, sounding too content to his own ears. He unwrapped the box as best as he could with only one injured arm and finally opened it. A short hum almost like a chuckle escaped him at what he discovered inside.

' _Happy Birthday Sasuke-kun!'_ was written in a script that seemed too neat to be Sakura's (being a medic, she had inherited the curse of an unreadable handwriting) but the suffix after his name left no space for confusion. Sasuke turned over the card; it was a photograph of Hinata, Naruto and Sakura, the latter's arm visible in the corner of the picture as she held up the camera to frame the three of them. Although the shy Hyuuga pressed to Naruto's side was seen smiling sweetly at the camera, Sasuke's two teammates seemed to be bickering, the ramen lover looking so smug over at the pink haired medic, his expression taunting, and Sakura pouting with her cheeks slightly pink, obviously reprimanding him. She was wearing her best red qipao dress, the one that hugged her curves to perfection and was slanted mid-thigh, yet it didn't make her appear so dressed up and seemed natural enough next to her friends. Sasuke could imagine the scene with vivid accuracy: an embarrassed Sakura yelling at Naruto for whatever stupid comment he had made about her appearance, and then her dismay as she cursed endlessly and paced all over her living room after she had taken the photo too early because of the blond and realized she couldn't change it –there went her plan to look pretty for Sasuke to keep a memento of her during his travels!

His eyes didn't leave the photograph for the time it took a ghost of a smile to creep on his lips. He searched deeper in the box. Behind the photo rested a folded piece of paper and further underneath, a couple of phials filled with greenish liquid as well as another small container. Unscrewing that latter item's lid, Sasuke found some sort of brown-colored, creamy substance in it. The paper was Sakura's true letter:

 _Happy 20_ _th_ _Birthday, Sasuke-kun!_

 _I hope you are doing well and that you will like your presents. I'm sorry I didn't have many ideas, but I figured that if I gave you anything it would have to be something useful so you'll find two serums and an ointment at the bottom of the box. The phial with the darkest liquid in it is against poisons (I know you're mostly immune but just in case!) and the other one is against fevers and headaches. As for the ointment, it'll help heal bruises and gashes (though not too deep ones). I can't guarantee the taste but they are_ _very_ _effective!_

Sasuke glanced aside at the remaining contents of the box. This girl was definitely brilliant. He would have to thank her, especially for the headache medicine, considering where he was currently staying… Speaking of which, Haruko seemed to have found something better to do than to abuse his door for now. With the pleasantness of silence for company, Sasuke went back to the letter.

 _By the way, there was an update in Hinata and Naruto's situation. A bunch of Hyuuga clansmen actually burst into your apartment a few days after I sent my first letter and demanded Hinata went back to their compound with them. Of course neither she or Naruto would have it so they drove them out (which reminds me I had to ask you how much your coffee table and armchair cost so we can get them replaced?). But even worse, Hiashi came in person to take his daughter back the next day! He ended up challenging Naruto in a fight which is about to take place in a few hours from when I am writing this. I never thought it would become so complicated for the two of them! I wish them luck though! Now Naruto's also torn between beating up his girlfriend's father and apologizing on his knees. Either way, it's not gonna be easy to earn Hiashi's consent…_

 _Anyway, other than that I hope you can manage with helping people at the borders. I'm not too worried but just be careful._

 _Happy birthday again (in case I hadn't said it enough)! I miss you._

 _Love,_

 _Sakura_

The ending of her letter had him blinking once or twice. That's right, he had omitted any affectionate mention at the end of his previous message, though at the same time, could words on paper equal a verbal confession (which he could hardly voice anyway)? Sasuke frowned, glaring holes into the floor as he lifted his shirt above his head to redo his bandages and put Sakura's presents to good use, which happened to be the exact moment when Haruko barged in holding her aunt's passkey into her tight fist.

"Now you're gonna show me Sakura's-" her triumphant expression fell at the sight of the bandages covering the Uchiha's whole torso and sole remaining arm. On his left side, dried stains of dark red could be spotted, extending over his ribs when he unwrapped the first layers of bandages there. Haruko was instantly reminded of the time when Sasuke had come to free her from Ryokai's fortress, his body dripping with blood; this time however, she chose not to stay idle a second longer.

Walking towards him and seizing the bands the raven haired shinobi's had laboriously been in the process of untying with only one arm, she raised her voice under his cold stare "What would Sakura say if she saw you like that!"

"Hn." Sasuke looked over at the medicine she had sent him. _'She knows. Things like that are bound to happen.'_

"I'm serious!" Haruko raised her voice and paused in her movements–which he couldn't seem to stop a second before. Glaring disapprovingly up at him as such, she was the spitting image of an annoyed Sakura. "I bet she'd be so worried! Poor her, her boyfriend is so reckless! You should probably be more careful, at least for her sak-"

"Don't lecture me" Sasuke cut in blankly. It sounded deep enough for Haruko to blink and widen her olive eyes in surprise but not quite so menacing that she would scamper off and hide in a hole. "I know what I'm doing."

' _Worried, she probably is. But I can also make her proud.'_

Despite Sasuke's current poor state, the shinobis who had attacked him the previous day had left unscathed, convinced that this Uchiha, despite any and all appearances, meant absolutely no harm.

~O~

 _Thank you for the medicine. It is a useful present._

 _How did it go for Naruto and Hinata?_

 _I hope you're doing okay. Haruko says hi._

 _Until next time,_

 _Sasuke_

~O~

 _Sasuke-kun,_

 _I really hope you didn't have to use too much of that medicine I sent you! I just made some more just in case. Please, tell me if I can get you anything else!_

 _As for Naruto, well, he fought Hiashi but almost got beaten badly at first because he couldn't bring himself to land a blow on his girlfriend's father. Then he_ _ **really**_ _got serious (no kidding, with tailed-beast chakra and all) and Hiashi understood he didn't stand a chance. It could have ended rather well from there but the numbskull just had to bark his usual tirade about never giving up and fighting until you see the battle through! I've always admired his determination, honestly, but all it did was anger Hiashi even more. It kinda reminded me of Neji, you know. He said that there was no point in their fighting each other anymore but Naruto was too stupid to see it and he just up and left with his clansmen._

 _So yeah, you can say the situation didn't really evolve that much…I think that Hiashi's been given food for thought, though. Hanabi-chan (Hinata's little sister) is keeping us updated anyway._

 _Oh, and they are still staying at your place for now assuming you don't mind. Naruto says he'll repay your furniture shortly and that he couldn't right now because it has been a while since he went on a mission. I wouldn't count on him too much but you probably figured that out._

 _I'm happy you saw Haruko! How are her family and the people in her village?_

 _I'm also doing fine. I'm not as overworked as before since the twins decided to stay in the hospital. Ino is also helping out a lot. She's scared you'd murder her if she lets me work myself to death but I told her it's stupid!_

" _Until next time"? Should I interpret this as a symbolic forehead poke? :)_

 _Love you,_

 _Sakura_

~O~

The next time Sasuke found the time to write to her was two months after his twentieth birthday, at the border near the Land of Iron. Such destination had been an informed choice although he knew that this country was only a close second to the Lightning when it came to hostility towards his name. He only hoped he could somehow rebuild his reputation, or at the very least, observe whether his presence there was as ill-perceived as in Kumogakure; all that preferably before the start of the cold season.

Now, in autumn, it was still fairly warm and the young shinobi had found a cave in which to rest. In his pocket was Sakura's folded letter. Although he never mentioned her to anyone, never even admitted it to himself, he missed her dearly; proof being his nagging wish to have her leaning on his shoulder as he reread the last lines of her previous message. _'Love you…'_

~O~

Sakura usually took no more than a day or two to write a reply, yet two weeks had passed and there was still no red-feathered hawk flying towards Sasuke's lone campfire amid the trees. Now, after all the efforts the young Uchiha had made to write a longer response and rid his mind of Sakura's image so he could focus on his redemption quest, worry was beginning to eat him alive. Why wasn't she replying? Was she overworked? Perhaps over him!? Worse, maybe she had gone out of Konoha on some mission (like that idiot Kakashi didn't have other medics) even though he had made her promise not to leave the village at least until Orochimaru had gone through Kusanagi's sharp end!

Sasuke thought he could picture what agony the three months he had made Sakura wait for a letter of six lines probably had been to her. Then again, she had survived worse, and it had only been two miserable weeks in his case. Miserable firstly because these thoughts had conquered nearly every nook of his mind by now, but also because he had been hunted down by samurais ever since his first appearance in a town of the Iron where families of those he had blindly killed at the Five Kage Summit years ago happened to live.

The sole survivor of the blood-stained Uchiha clan stood as one of the two most powerful shinobis on this earth; and yet, so weak he felt staring into the teary eyes of children he had orphaned. He hated to think it was better for him to suffer on his own like this, without a redeeming feature or space for rightful self-pity in his mind –still as of that day, nothing could make him believe that he actually deserved Sakura's warmth, her reassuring words or even her love to make him feel better about somebody he supposedly wasn't any longer- but regardless, he would carry on. Make what he could of his dreadful name…

…Though he would probably have to take care of those samurais leaping out from the bushes first.

~O~

 _Sasuke-kun,_

 _I'm sorry I haven't written earlier. Actually, Ino and I have been working like crazy on an idea I had shortly before you took me on your journey._

 _I am proud to announce that the 'Children's Mental Healthcare' ward of Konoha's Hospital is just about ready to open! I had been thinking that it would be necessary to take care of the children who had been orphaned or traumatized after the war, and although it took a while, we've finally seen it through! Of course it's only going to get more complicated from now on, but I'm still glad I was finally able to take this step!_

 _To continue with the good news, things are looking up for Naruto and Hinata! Hiashi finally acknowledged Naruto's worth (in fact, he already had after the war but went back into denial as soon as he learned that he was courting his daughter) and seems to tolerate them 'dating'. The only thing is that Naruto had already proposed to Hinata last winter and both can't wait to seal the deal. Even so, things should go more or less smoothly for them from now on._

 _I hope you're taking care of yourself. I could send you more anti-bruise ointment if you want? I know you didn't say anything last time but I still want to be sure. Also, winter is coming so think of buying something warmer than your old poncho!_

Love,

 _Sakura._

 _~O~_

 _Sakura,_

 _This new idea is great. It would be good to spread it to other hospitals. Not only in the Fire country. But don't overwork yourself again._

Sakura sighed at the 'again' he had added. Of all the times Sasuke would chose to write more than five words in a sentence…His idea seemed good though, and she would have to give it some thought. The pink haired girl resumed her reading.

 _That's good for Naruto and Hinata. The dobe was never patient anyway._

True. Only yesterday Naruto had been whining at Ichiraku about Hiashi's strictness. Sakura couldn't help but wonder though, how a goofball who got flustered at the slightest innocent affection from his girlfriend could wantto jump into men's age-long fear of commitment. Maybe there were things that simply wouldn't come out of closed doors between those two…She would have to ask Hinata more precisely someday.

 _I'm focusing a lot on my sword training right now. Figures there was still a lot I could learn. I may need some of your ointment, thanks._

Did that mean he had met new people? Either way, it seemed like good news…Though weren't the most skilled swordsmen out there samurais? Sakura shook her head to dismiss impending worry from her thoughts. She couldn't really ask him anyway. However, she would go to the market first thing after she had finished reading to buy the lacking ingredients for her best remedies.

 _Because of that, I probably won't be able to receive your letters in a while…_

~O~

That had been the smoothest understatement ever born from Sasuke's pen, two weeks following the samurai's attack in the Land of Iron.

After reaching the Three Wolves Mountain marking the entrance to the country of eternal ice, not only had he been treated as an active criminal and hunted down by samurais, but when the confrontation had come, his opponents had fought with the unmistakable intent to kill. Sasuke could have ended them in just one crimson look, but for one offensive move, what price would he have to pay later on? As it turned out, he had ended up knocked out cold, partly from blood loss, but also by a strong blow to his nape with what he suspected had been the handle of a long-sword. Why not chop his head off while they were at it? Would it be more enjoyable for them to watch him bleed out in the snow? This question was answered when he woke up in a cold cell, disarmed, his ankles and lone hand chained to a hard stone wall with a glowering Mifune staring at his pale features from behind thick iron bars.

Sasuke had to admit, this was a first, and he had already gone through a lot in his years of travel. The cross-interrogation began the instant his dark obsidian eyes opened with a decipherable semblance of recognition although Sasuke felt much less than awake –his limbs weighted a ton, numbed by the freezing wall against his back but at the same time, searing, red ice had formed where his wounds had been left untended, so that the multiple gashes covering his body were being eaten out by the cold- in fact, like this, he felt half-dead. Nonetheless, his chin was proudly lifted up to face the bearded samurai, a mere reflex after all these years. Mifune opened his dry lips: What was he doing in this country and why had he trespassed its borders?

"To see the world."

Mifune tilted up a hairy eyebrow for one second before he regained the cold composure of the ice covering his land "Are you enjoying what you see then, Uchiha Sasuke?"

The young shinobi thought a response superficial and was proven right when the old man merely furthered his questioning "What is your true motive? Speak."

A more thorough observation of his surroundings seemed in order before the young Uchiha could answer. Beyond the bars, about ten feet away from him, Mifune was at the front of a dozen armed men, one of which stood tense and tall; he had a peculiar armor with more detailed plates and bright blue robes underneath, vaguely similar to a samurai lord's. However, his grimacing expression and seething glare was one which Sasuke had seen all too many times in the past years of his journey. There was apparently a long alley in front of his cell and behind the metal railing of this path, a gap and another symmetrical row of cells, though they all seemed empty. It didn't take too long for Sasuke to analyze the situation he was in: The samurais had no immediate plan to kill him because otherwise he would already be dead –he wasn't far from it though, and he had no doubt a couple more hours spent with the blizzard blowing behind the wall he was chained to would do the trick- moreover, the chains restraining him would normally have been no trouble for a shinobi of his rank, only the samurais posted all around this fortress far outnumbered him and would make any attempt to sneak out despite his poor state impossible. Even so, a fight was not really an option when he wished to make his pure intentions known.

"What do you think?" Sasuke had to reply eventually, but his voice sounded too breathy and his throat was burning from the cold; attempting to clear it, he tasted blood on his tongue.

Not amused, Mifune's brows knitted together in thought; and the tall man at his side took his chance to yell out some of his rage "The likes of you can have no good intents! Did you come to sully the names of those you killed or to finish what you had begun!?"

Sasuke wanted no room for more speculations and replied instantly, voice clinical "No. I wanted to see how I was perceived here. Now I have my answer."

"Humph" Mifune's lips twisted into the smallest smirk as he stared on at the Uchiha but it vanished the second it appeared.

"You were at my trial" Sasuke said "You know what I mean to accomplish."

"Yes…" He did, and yet the former avenger was chained to a wall that seemed of rough, spiky ice as he spoke to the head of the samurais. "…indeed, and the Hokage confirms what you speak of. But I pass my own judgment on a man…"

Mifune raised his hand to point at Sasuke through the bars. Two of his men unlocked the cell, came in and made their way to the mildly-alarmed shinobi, both with their hands on the hilt of their swords. In this instant Sasuke was ready to spread Susano'o's wings and fly away from this excuse of prison but… The two samurais cut their prisoner's binds in two precise swipes of their blades. Briskly shaking off his stupor, Sasuke noticed the two stone-faced guards didn't seem ready to leave his side. Surveillance, no surprise, though Mifune's sudden decision generated the greatest confusion among his men as they stood with only their agape mouths visible under their low helms.

Equally surprised, Sasuke narrowed his eyes warily. But then he saw the old man's squinty black eyes sharply set on the glinting object around his neck –the chain had slid out from under his shirt but despite snow, wind and darkness, it had lost none of its silver glint, the simple band that made a pair with Sakura's.

Unrelenting inquiries surged from the crowd only to be answered by the samurai leader's silence. They wouldn't end as the group moved to a large hall where thick, gray pillars held the cathedral-high ceiling. On every long tile of the floor, spiraling, carved patterns danced and embraced together to end up growing onto the pillars like entangled vines, however rare plant life was in this country. Guards still surrounded Sasuke, but all the other samurais had moved behind Mifune once again, organized in two perfectly ordered rows which faced the young Leaf shinobi with all the warmth a pack of starved hyenas was capable of.

"Sasuke Uchiha" Mifune's stormy, yet solemn voice resounded against the gigantic walls. "You have done wrong to my nation and have been judged for it in a fair trial. Know that I respect you…" those words rang in Sasuke's mind while the old man's sharp gaze stared into his very soul. The young ninja was already frozen, which was why he blamed this country's climate for the shiver that ran down his spine then, but he couldn't help thinking that he had finally gotten a taste of his own glares.

"…But I fear that many here don't think you are worthy of walking on the same land that saw the ones you killed be born."

"I had to start by coming here…" Sasuke mentally cursed the sudden stab of pain that made him pause "…if I am to ever make amends." This reply roused whispers of alarm from the crowd of samurais behind Mifune.

"Yes…" the old man's frown only intensified and Sasuke thought for a second that he would draw his sword and lunge at him right then regardless of the samurais around him. Instead, long gray hair cascading behind him because of a brisk movement, he whipped around to face his men, berating vehemently.

"I let you decide! Fight this man now that he is within your grasp at the risk of letting him leave a wife behind, like your comrades did when he swung his blade! Or perhaps let him live, if you would endure, not forgive, his former brutality to give him a new chance as the warrior and defender he wishes to become."

Sasuke opened round eyes in awe. What was this? A group lesson? Was this man willing to sacrifice his time as a ruler of the country to personally change the minds of a selected few? Was he even trying to change their minds? Despite his volubility, Sasuke feared that a number of samurais, the one with the fancy armor at the front among them, still remained unconvinced.

"I CAN'T accept it!" The man roared, stepping forward from the line. He walked further ahead, passing the very still, stone-faced Mifune and reached for his sword. "This punk! T-this son of a bitch-!" Now Sasuke saw his eyes, filled with a raging fire. This wasn't anything new, he was used to being insulted, spat on and chased away by now; so he kept his façade strong, blank eyes fixed intently on his form. The guards around Sasuke scattered swiftly; the tall samurai raised his blade.

"He killed my _best friend_!"

It dawned on Sasuke's heavy mind that this sword was aimed straight at his neck and that Mifune showed no intent to prevent its strike.

So in the blink of an eye, purple flames engulfed him and the attack landed on a ghostly, purple ribcage; hitting even this incomplete shield, the blade snapped into two halves like a twig against a rock. Immobile yet panting as he was now, Sasuke knew that playing the dodging game was out of the question, so he could only rely on his powerful defense.

Susano'o's full form rose from the fire with a powerful gust of wind which shoved the assailant all the way back to his comrades who were gaping in fearful awe; though not for long. Watching their brother in arms be beaten to the ground triggered an irrational reaction. All at once, a great number of them dove to break their swords on Sasuke's shield. Susano'o burned strong, rendering all their attempts to naught, but its wielder rapidly grew sick of this joke. Again he had to watch people loathe him without the slightest clue on how to make them understand, or no, merely ignore him. Should he fight them seriously so they would see how fickle their hope for revenge truly was? Should he fly and never appear before them again, forsaking this land as a lost cause as he had the Lightning?

Mifune stared back at him through the violet blasts as his men stood back up again and again, some trying in vain to pierce the armor with what remained of their blades, others uselessly pounding their fists onto Susano'o's indestructible skeleton. In his eyes, Sasuke thought he saw a sort of contempt.

And that made him seethe. Yes, he still had the shadow of a monster within his soul! Yes, he was undeserving of this ring he wore around his neck! He knew it! But Naruto, and Sakura who wore the matching band, they believed in him; and she loved him. Sakura had promised that she would be by his side no matter what. He too, believed her. So why could he only stand there and watch a tragedy of hatred unfold once more in those warriors' eyes? Why did Mifune have to stare at him –not even glare- like he had yet to understand anything?

Sore, Sasuke lowered his walls for a split second. For a split second that soreness showed and Mifune saw it, before it vanished. Determination was all that remained as the young shinobi took one deep –painful- breath, feeling the cold seeping through his veins. He clenched his one fist; Susano'o disappeared.

Aghast but quick to recover, the samurais lunged at him as one. With a grace unsuspected by most, Sasuke glided across the floor, evading their charge; then when they charged again, he flew, somersaulting high above their broken swords and back behind the group of astonished, highly trained, powerless men. But he barely managed to land on one knee and had to stand back up with concealed difficulty –nausea gripped his gut and made him stumble forward until he caught himself just in time. It wasn't long before his blood stained the dark stone floor although the samurai's blades had yet to even reach him. Blood loss led to loss of clear sight and this time a sword left one deep cut on his left shoulder. Sasuke jumped back a few meters again, panting as he held his arm to stop the hemorrhage. A low curse; his vision was so blurry now that not even the sharingan could decipher chakra flows well enough.

"What's wrong?" He asked the crowd of puzzled samurais. "Is that enough for you already?"

They could only wonder: Was Uchiha Sasuke such a small deal in battle? Was he too weakened to give them a proper fight? Truthfully, in spite of physical exhaustion, the shinobi still had fearsome amounts of chakra left, more than enough to dispose of his opponents in the blink of an eye if he wanted to.

"Don't think you are fooling anyone! You can hardly stand!" Came the thunderous exclaim of the tall samurai with the noble armor.

"Heh…" Sasuke let out this breath, looking at the floor where one more drop of his blood had fallen from his mouth "I am not attacking you…" he returned his hard –black- gaze to the group of men "…You can't touch me, you can't harm me. All you do is wagging your swords around."

The samurais stared in silence, stunned by their enemy's defiance when he was so obviously injured. The man at the front stepped forward "How dare-!?" One of his companions had to restrain him.

Sasuke removed the hand he held to his shoulder, baring the red liquid covering his palm like a second skin to the men's attentive eyes as he dropped it to his side –at this point, it was no more use.

"You want to make me pay? Then you're doing it the wrong way… You don't know…how it works…" No use in concealing his ragged breathing either anymore. The blood was dripping from his chin by now anyway. "When my brother and the rest of my clan were murdered, I turned to the darkness and I killed your comrades. A life for a life…Once you've reached the bottom of the well…when despair turns into pure hatred… then you will experience true darkness. Tell me if you're not the same monster that I was by then! …That is, if revenge still has a value to you."

Sasuke's tirade ended in utter soundlessness, but the fires still burned deep, strong in samurais' eyes, warmed by rage. Sasuke choked then, feeling a greater amount of blood surge to his throat. In a sick way, it reminded him of the time he had spent in this same land, surrounded by these same walls, struggling to cope with the new power of the mangekyou sharingan which would all but consume him in the end.

"What's wrong!? Do I seem like a good man to you now!?" This time he yelled, clenched fist trembling at his side without his taking notice.

He didn't have the time to hear an answer. Eyes wide for an instant, Sasuke dropped to his knees and fell down in a red pool. After all, he had always known eloquent speeches weren't his thing; those were Naruto's forte, sometimes Sakura's, in those moments when she made his heart beat harder.

Mifune stepped forward at last "That's enough."

~O~

 _Sasuke-kun,_

 _Happy New Year! I hope it will bring both of us and all of our friends good fortune!_

 _I'm sorry I took so long to reply, but I've been very busy with my new work at the hospital. Speaking of which, aren't you a little too greedy asking for me to open new wards AND not overwork myself? I did try my best though, but in the end Ino had to help me do extra hours. I'm actually on a week-off right now (which is why I can finally write to you) because Shizune-san thought you would murder anyone who tried to overwork me!_

 _Anyway, Tsunade-sama facilitated the procedure as regards paperwork and all that stuff, so we might be able to send a few squads of medics to the biggest towns of the Fire Country in a couple of weeks! I have presided tons of meetings and only just started personally training the medics who will be assigned to this mission. That way they'll be able to act by themselves without me going out of Konoha (so don't worry about it, I won't leave the village). It's a lot of work but I'm actually really excited!_

 _Ah, I hope you received this letter soon enough because I have big news! Naruto and Hinata are finally getting MARRIED! He was sorry he couldn't announce it to you himself but is still hoping you can make it back to Konoha for the big event in the middle of March (the 12_ _th_ _). He also told me to ask you if you would be his best man? It seems it finally got through Hiashi's thick skull that Naruto isn't the idiot he outwardly appears to be, though it took one good 'man-to-man' talk to persuade him in the end (Naruto's inspirational speeches never cease to amaze me)! However, I strongly suspect that something else played a part in his final decision: the day before, Naruto had dragged Kakashi-sensei out of his office so he could train with Yamato, Sai and I for old days' sake. Hiashi just happened to pass by and saw us fight for a bit. You wouldn't believe how large his eyes were!_

 _I hope things go well with your training, though I'm not going to ask if you're overworking yourself (haha)! Go easy with the ointment, and in case you do need to use all of it, don't wait three months to ask for some new one, okay? Anyways I know you._

 _If you could please tell me soon about Naruto's wedding? You can answer my letter in more detail whenever you have the time though, don't worry. I'm already happy that you send me news at all! I know it's not easy most of the time._

 _Love you, love you, love you!_

 _Sakura._

~O~

 _I can't come back yet. Sorry._

 _Sasuke._

~O~

 _Sakura, sorry my previous letter was short._

 _I'm working hard to rebuild my reputation. It's not easy but I'm getting somewhere. I get to learn from people and offer what I can in return, like what we did in Suiden. You and Naruto were always more sociable than me but I persevere._

 _That's great about the new hospital wards. Keep me updated._

 _How was the wedding?_

 _Thanks for the remedies. They are always useful. Can I have more of the healing ointments?_

 _Take care of yourself._

 _Love,_

 _Sasuke_

 _PS: Happy 21_ _st_ _Birthday. I hope you like the flowers. I noticed you can only find them when really looking._

~O~

 _Sasuke-kun,_

 _In case you don't know that already, Naruto will murder you for missing his wedding once you get back -_ _(not that you should delay your return or-_ _. I didn't catch the bouquet either, but the one you sent me is now blooming in a vase on my kitchen table. Thank you so much for the present! Did you actually know what arbutus means in flower language? Kunoichis learn it at a very young age and because I've been friends with Ino since forever and she owns a flower shop well…What I mean is, "I love only you" as well, but I guess you'd rather hear it than read it on paper._

 _Back to Naruto. He and Hinata finally moved out of your place to buy an apartment of their own with the money Hiashi gave them. He wanted them to live in an old-fashioned big house right next to the Hyuuga compound but Naruto refused of course. I would have liked to see Hiashi's face at that moment! Now they live in a newly constructed area of Konoha just under the Hokage monument. I bet Naruto wants to wake up in the morning and see the faces on the mountain through his bedroom window every day, especially when he'll get his own portrait up there. We all know he will._

 _Things are going well with the hospital. Now that the teams have been sent out all around the Fire Country, I just have to supervise from afar, which means long phone calls, letters, and more recently, video conferences. Only the Five Kages did this up until now: we use cameras to see each other talk on a screen. It makes me feel even bossier!_

 _It's great that you're trying so hard, Sasuke-kun. Naruto, Kakashi-sensei and I are all supporting you. In fact, everyone knows you're making a lot of effort, so please, keep going strong even when you think it's a lost cause. Naruto said "Never give up –ttebayo! We're gonna change this world together!" and I believe in you too._

 _Sasuke-kun, have you noticed? It's the first time you ended a letter with "Love"…I just wanted to thank you for that too, even though it may seem stupid. You know, it's been so long since we last saw each other, but I feel those letters make it a little better somehow. I'm glad we are able to keep in contact like this for extended periods of time. Even if it's just words on paper and my neighbors curse your hawk for making noise every time it comes through my window, it does make me very happy to hear from you, so thank you so much again._

 _Lastly, I -_ _feel-_ _know that I must tell you some important news. There is no chance you will like it, but I can't keep this from you. Some three days ago, I met Karin, Suigetsu and your other comrade Juugo on my way to the Hokage building. In fact, they were accompanying Orochimaru, who is now kept within Konoha…_

Sasuke dropped the letter right this instant. His fingers were trembling, breath hitching. His whole mind blanked.

* * *

 _ **A.N./:**_ _Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey~_

 _I reread this chapter over and over and over again to make sure it was the best possible, but since it's such a long one, my brain kinda feels like jelly now!^^"_

 _! The words that are between dashes (-) in Sakura's last letter are supposed to be crossed out but I couldn't get it to work here like in my Word document !_

 _I know it must have been a little confusing on the timeline near the end but I promise I'll clarify things a bit soon. I also wanted to warn you that we are now coming very close to the end of FLY AWAY! Because of this, I will probably have to spend extra time on the remaining chapters so I'm not sure if I'll be able to post chapter 43 exactly in two week's time. Please bear with me and I'll make it the best I can! :)_

 _As always thanks a lot to everyone who keeps reading, commenting and enjoying this story. Feedback and attention are really all a writer can hope for!_

 _Until next time then (*symbolic forehead poke*)!~_


	44. Guuren - Chapter 43

_**A.N/:**_ _Sorry guys, this took sooo long...The last few weeks have been...intense. It didn't help that I had a temporary format problem to upload documents on here...Anyways, thank you so much for reading this story to the end and enjoy the last chapter of Fly Away!_

* * *

 _ **FLY AWAY - Chapter 43**_

 _ **Guuren**_

The whole population of Konoha knew by now that its Hokage and one of its former most valuable jounins had a very strange habit of challenging each other in the most ridiculous ways. As of today, civilians would have a new tale to tell after they had seen said pair racing through the streets, one hopping on one foot as though contaminated by saint Vitus' dance, the other maneuvering his wheelchair like a rally pilot, leaving thick clouds of dust in his trail. This day officially marked Might Guy's 150th victory, and therefore had to be celebrated with the quality sake left by Kakashi's predecessor in one of the hidden cabinets in the Hokage's office.

However, the sharp ended sword instantly put at the silver haired man's neck when he opened the door could hardly fit in the festivities.

" _Where_ is she." The attacker had a peculiar pair of somber crimson irises that Kakashi recognized immediately.

"Sasuke" he would have sighed once his initial shock was overcome but kept his voice in a stern baritone in front of his former –menacing, seething, oozing out murderous intent- student. "Nice seeing you again too. Always so friendly and pleasant as I see."

"Don't make me repeat myself."

Stone-faced under his mask, Kakashi set his palm on the flat of his pupil's blade, applying enough pressure to make him understand that the show was too much, not nearly intimidating in his eyes. The Sixth Hokage bypassed the katana as Sasuke lowered it at last, though he made no move to sheath it back into its holster. Reaching his desk with a perplex Guy at his heels, Kakashi finally sat and could take a good look at his former pupil. In ten months, Sasuke's raven hair had grown even longer, bangs cast aside to cover his left eye completely. The old, threadbare poncho which had become a trademark outfit of his was no more, replaced now by a more classic, hooded black cloak which appeared slightly damp, barely just drying off –a tell-tale sign of Sasuke's recent arrival, as rain clouds had been spotted about an hour ago near Konoha. Apart from those details, the sweat on the young man's forehead as well as the ire and restless tension present in his eyes hit Kakashi with familiar –unpleasant- memories.

The silver haired man placed his elbows on his desk, clasping his hands to lean his chin on them "Sakura is probably working at the hospital at this time. I'm actually surprised that you would choose to pay me a visit first instead of heading straight to your sweethea-"

"What about _him_?"

Sasuke's stone hard expression remained unchanged as he uttered these three callous words. A silver eyebrow raised up, though Kakashi's tone could have as well suggested that they were conversing about the weather.

"Be a bit clearer," he prodded, clinical "Is it Naruto you're looking for? Now that he is a marr-"

"Tell me where you keep Orochimaru" Sasuke cut in harshly.

"Ha" it was Guy who had huffed at his rival's side. He cut into the conversation using a fatherly tone, like he would address the members of his old team of genins "It might not be a good idea to give you this information, especially when you still have to make the most of your youth!"

"I would have said you just wanted to know so you could make that man suffer the most painful of deaths without even caring for the village's interests or what he had to offer, but that's another way to put it, thanks Guy" Kakashi completed his friend's innuendo, receiving a sparkly 'good guy pose' in return. His eyes had narrowed more now; it was the second time Sasuke interrupted one of his cynical speeches and he was determined not to suffer a third occurrence. Wereas teeth white, sharp and bared, the young Uchiha's appearance seemed that of a starved, wild wolf, snarling almost, with the rain clinging to his dark cloak like a second skin. His sword trembled as his knuckles turned white around it, gripping fiercely –but its wielder took note of this the next instant and rashly moved his arm to shake it off. Obviously aggravated to a whole different level than his old sensei, Sasuke was clearly unable to conceal his edginess above all –quite a sight for Kakashi who could not recall such an event ever since he had deserted the village as a boy.

"Do I have to remind you what you normally risk for coming in here and threatening me with a weapon?" The Sixth Hokage asked placidly "…And presumably knocking out the Anbu agents who are guarding this place as well" he added as an afterthought. In this situation, it seemed he was put in a middle school headmaster's shoes to scold a disobedient student; but Sasuke had gone past what meaning the word 'disobedient' could convey long ago only to come back in line after the war, so what was this sudden regression for? Kakashi couldn't place why he –the collected one out of his three pupils- would act so carelessly, though surely enough, the glints of burning red in the last Uchiha's eyes showed clearly as daylight that he wasn't about to back down. Yet.

"Why did you allow Orochimaru in the village?" Sasuke spoke in a hurry.

"I'm the Hokage. I have the right to do that, you know. But I'm happy that you're concerned about my motives at least. It shows that you're not just acting on-"

"Just ANSWER ME!"

Sasuke had stepped up in front of the desk, his glare fixed onto the silver haired man's not so bored gaze –his eyes had widened in that instant, shocked by the unexpected outburst. The raven haired shinobi was trying to burn the Hokage alive by sheer will, but Kakashi noted this as well: why was Sasuke not threatening him with the mangekyou sharingan instead, if his intent was truly to immolate him on the spot?

Kakashi wouldn't reply by a plain 'no' however, because he considered himself smarter than that; and so he waited for the ten seconds it took Sasuke to growl in ire and whirl around towards the door. Careless indeed: how would Uchiha Sasuke in his correct mind barge into the Hokage's office to interrogate the man without a plan or so much as leverage to make him speak? He was in _no_ position to threaten Kakashi. But the young man stopped about two steps away from the desk.

"Don't you realize how absurd this is!? He could destroy Konoha right now, whenever he wants to! A few chains won't stop him!"

Kakashi had a hard time remembering a time when his former pupil had last been so vehement, but ever so collected he answered "Chakra-controlling bands can help. You wouldn't imagine how fast the scientists here managed to perfect their technologies."

"That wouldn't work on him and you know it."

"Then tell me why in the week it took you to get here Orochimaru didn't attempt anything? It would have been smarter of him, don't you think?" Snide eyes turned sour as the older man looked with unhidden annoyance at the Uchiha. "I'm beginning to wonder, Sasuke: what's wrong? Are you scared… or maybe you're hiding another of your slip-ups? Just tell me so we can clean up the mess for you again, if you want."

Kakashi didn't miss the tightening of the younger shinobi's jaw.

"I just can't stay idle when the Hokage puts the whole village in danger!" Sasuke bellowed "I swore to protect it! _You_ swore to protect it, so let me see Orochimaru and end this! It won't matter much to the villagers if _I'm_ the executioner."

Unfazed by his pupil's tone, Kakashi maintained his voice composedly low "Is it the village or your personal interest you are trying to protect? Careful child, I think I'm starting to put the pieces together…"

The village. 'Care' would not be the word to describe Sasuke's feelings about it. He was bound to his treacherous hometown by duty: his affiliation to it as Leaf shinobi, his repentance after the war and mostly his brother Itachi's legacy kept Sasuke's roots there, although the former hatred he had nurtured for a rotten shinobi system led by the Leaf council whose trial had not yet issued a final verdict was hard to completely extinguish. In fact, knowing the nature of an Uchiha's heart, it was hard to believe he would ever completely forgive the village and what it had done to him and his kindred. However, if only one thing had the power to change the underlying torture of Sasuke's presence on these formerly hostile grounds, it was those he loved. Naruto and Sakura could keep him here without a thought about hard feelings. His home and even his hopes rested in them. But all Orochimaru ever wanted was to observe, to create ripples on the surface of a calm pound to bring about chaos. He had already tried to take Sakura away once; as for Naruto, he simply had to lay hands on his wife to have him at his mercy. So even if measures had been taken, even if he had to threaten the Hokage himself and fight a hundred anbu, the slightest chance to have his precious people hurt was clearly not a possibility to Sasuke, this Kakashi could read into his burning eyes like in an open book.

Sasuke's grip on his sword suddenly relaxed; he would have let out a sigh as he sheathed the blade back into its hostler but remained silent as stone, bangs shielding his gaze. Once he looked up, his expression bared the emptiness of transparent glass, unreadable but cold and sharp to anyone who might want to touch it. The shouts of before were nothing like the blizzard wind blowing in his next emotionless sentences.

"I want to protect her. In order to do so, I need to talk to him. Then you'll choose if I was right or not to want to kill him."

~O~

Foolishly, the little smitten girl still present in her had expected pure, unadulterated love to carry her feet to where he was the day of his return. Sakura would have ran into his arms for all she cared about a possible –probable- audience, lock her arms behind his neck and her slightly tear-filled gaze into his staggered, but happy one; and happy she would have been, waiting no longer to plant a feverish kiss to his lips. But no, the moron just had to blow all of her fantasies away and make her go all the way to a top secret prison facility hidden under the Hokage monument on the first day of his return. Worse yet, she hadn't been alone when Kakashi had flippantly informed her of her fiancé's recent arrival. "You missed him by five minutes" He had said, watching her unceremoniously drop all her painfully organized paperwork to the floor. Thoughts of reporting the new advance on the Children Healthcare wards all around the country just flew out the window with those six words, only Suigetsu's thoughtless snickering, Karin's loud and physical reprimand to the chuckling swordsman and the sight of Juugo helping Kakashi's bespectacled secretary pick up the stacks of paper suddenly reminded her why Sasuke had suddenly decided to return without so much as a letter in forewarning.

So without bothering to ask, Sakura bolted out of the Hokage's office with her three companions following in tow, deep, true _annoyance_ guiding her footsteps.

"Dang it! Would you slow down a little!" Suigetsu complained as the three former Taka members had to jog to catch up to Sakura in the stairs down the Hokage tower. "We don't really wanna follow you like puppies in the first place so-"

"Shut up, Suigetsu!" Karin cut in, now meeting Sakura's strides beside her.

"What!? It's true! You know as well as I do that we're toast if we're seen without our 'guard' in this stupid village!" The swordsman shot back, clicking his tongue as he fell into place behind the girls. He cast his gaze to the ground on his right huffily "Damn, I almost miss living in that old hag's house back in the middle of nowhere…"

"They treated you well there…" Juugo let out without really caring if he was heard or not.

"Ha! You're kidding!?"

Two slaps that landed into water later, the three's bickering came to an end –Sakura hadn't cared for it very much anyways, but still. At the entrance of the camouflaged tunnel that led to the prison, she sensed –not found- two guards in the vicinity. When they descended from the trees they were hiding in, Sakura deciphered a peculiar glint in their eyes, something that showed, along with the sweat running down one's temple, that they both had yet to recover from a recent event which from her best guess, could only involve an extremely pissed legendary shinobi. Showing them Kakashi's previously given recommendation, she descended into the depths of the tunnel with her companions. The silence now caging them oppressed Sakura's thought-filled head: what would she say to Sasuke when she saw him? What would she do? How would he react after all this time? Escorted by a new guard, they meandered for an unknown amount of time in earthy tunnels. This prison had been constructed after the war to hold the most dangerous criminals captured in the Fire Country. It was therefore constructed like a maze of mole tunnels and burrows to disorient even the most skilled of trackers, for only with a map did the anbu guard manage to guide the party of four deeper under the boisterous town on the surface.

"I can sense Sasuke's chakra" Karin said sternly, turning to Sakura. "He's just up ahead."

"Hm" Sakura nodded. For once it seemed that the strength needed to form words had left her. It was true after all, she had to focus her energy on her next acti-

There was a clacking sound in the air and she raised her gaze; fifteen feet away she found a thunderstruck Uchiha whirling around, his long midnight cloak waving behind him with the sound of a raven's black wings preparing to take off. What she saw in his mismatched purple and red eyes instead of the apathetic gaze of said bird though, was genuine horror.

"Get out of here _now_!" Sasuke shouted –his first words to her in ten months.

A maniacal laughter echoed against the walls then, ragged, breathy, venomous, smug almost, like she never wanted to hear again. Sasuke cast a wary glance at his former interlocutor before his wide eyes returned to Sakura's. Seeing him like this, she couldn't help regretting her choice to come here. Now Sasuke would break a fuse, threaten the snake sannin with a lightning blade and destroy all the trust he had managed to gain back from the village authorities… As it turned out, she ended up as useful as a twelve year old good for nothing and whiny kunoichi.

"My, Sasuke-kun!" the throaty, invisible voice surged again, stifling its chuckles for a moment only "To think I would see that gorgeous expression of pure terror on your face again! It makes me nostalgic…I almost want to kill her right now, to see how you would look then. How about it, Suigetsu, Juugo?"

The two men behind Sakura started, so much that the swordsman spilled the juice he had tensely been holding before his lips. A shiver like a running centipede ran down her spine but she knew better than to worry; having somehow won Suigetsu's 'comradeship' and offered psychological assistance to Juugo, helping him with his mental disorders and introducing him to Naruto who could help him learn how to control senjutsu chakra, she was certain that neither of them would want to harm her. If anything, Sasuke's dark aura dissuaded them best.

"No" the deep sound vibrated against the tunnel. "No you won't." Sasuke repeated.

That sick laughter sprung again from the snake's throat, making Sakura wince. She only noticed when he was by her side, gaze fixed straight ahead, that Sasuke had made his way to her, the stunned anbu guard and the members of Taka. Without a word he grabbed the pink haired girl by the elbow and led them all out of the prison, the sound of madness soon disappearing in the darkness behind them.

~O~

Sakura had forgotten how to deal with awkward silences, so when they reached her apartment and Sasuke drifted towards her couch with the swiftness of a ghost, she found nothing to tell him at all.

They had been in luck to find Naruto at his home to drop off Juugo and Suigetsu, though the blond had not wasted any second to jump at his best friend's throat the moment he appeared at his door with Sakura and the former members of Taka. Treasures of diplomacy had been employed to dissuade him from killing Sasuke on the spot for missing his very own best pal's wedding, but it had been Juugo who came in to save the day by having another one of his fits which the others had had to take care of before things got out of hand. In the end, Naruto had let them off with nervously twitching eyebrows, saying "Don't think this conversation is over, young man" like a father would scold his disobedient son (being the first married man of his generation gave him the illusion of possessing some kind of maturity). Sasuke, of course, had left unperturbed.

Karin accompanied the couple back to Sakura's apartment, chatting with her as though the brooding Uchiha wasn't practically oozing dark vibes a short way ahead of them. Once they arrived, she paused by the corridor at the end of the living room leading to Sakura's bedroom.

"I'll gather my things so I can move to that blond's place by tonight." Though she spoke those words almost in reproach, Sakura took them as the kind offering of an opportunity to converse with Sasuke at last. Nodding to the red-head, she watched her disappear behind the bedroom door before turning back to the Uchiha on her couch, now perfectly alone but not so at ease with her conflicting emotions just yet.

Her first idea was to go make tea; then she remembered how he always preferred coffee without sugar but was probably still stressed from earlier events. He didn't need caffeine to add more pressure onto his shoulders or her worries about why he had gone directly to their worst enemy upon his return and why he still wouldn't speak a word… In fact, if she could alleviate his burden a bit, it would be all she could ask for; so Sakura set to work by sitting down on the couch and, when she found the courage, scooting closer to him. To test the waters after such a long time apart, she placed a hand on his knee.

"I-I…I'm sorry I made you worry earlier. I realize now how stupid it was of me to follow you down there in that prison…" Her voice was low, hopefully soothing, definitely honest. "It's silly but…" she let out a little laugh and squeezed the fabric above his knee a little. "I just wanted to see you so bad…"

' _Now, now, you're getting cheesy, girl'_ commented Inner-Sakura. The outer one responded with a pink blush while Sasuke was still in deep observation of his knees, dark hair partly hiding his blank expression. Indeed, it felt so good to have him right there next to her again that even his silence could content her; which it did, once she subconsciously moved to lean against his shoulder. So simple: she had missed this.

Words broke past his lips as his hand moved to join hers on his leg and he told her all about the past months, what she had missed, what he couldn't write in his letters, what she had had to guess.

He had trained under Mifune in the Iron Country for a time, which had not only enabled him to enhance his swordsmanship, but also proved extremely enriching as the samurai lord had lived long and fought numerous battles he could tell Sasuke about, whereas his previous master Orochimaru had never found the time or will to do so. He had learned of the ways of honor during a fight, how a sword did not only serve to kill…principles he had forgotten before. Nearly three month after his run in with the samurais, he had left with what he believed a new found maturity which he had not been able to acquire with Sakura at his side. While her presence had soothed him in numerous occasions such as on their second visit in Suiden, he had not been alone to deal with hostility unlike in the Iron. There, he had fought much harder on his own thanks to the confidence she had provided him. He had departed the samurai fortress as a companion in arms, not a criminal or a shinobi from a different world.

She guessed, although he would not bear to add any detail, that this incessant fighting to prove his good-will to Uchiha-hostile people had caused him to ask for remedies in every letter he had sent her and hence probably injured him more importantly than in other circumstances. For this reason, she insisted he took his shirt off so she could inspect him right here, right now. Naturally, he declined at first but had to concede once she tackled him on the couch and started pulling the bottom of his black shirt up using her teeth while she pinned his only wrist up next to his head –after all, Karin was just in the other room.

They sat up again and Sakura brushed her thumb against a pink spot under Sasuke's ribs, large, like a blade had been twisted there. "You got new ones, huh…" she sighed before her palms started glowing green.

"Hn…" He didn't expect her to look proud before the glaring evidence of more than one of his near-death experiences. He wouldn't have thought her likely to cry either, and she didn't. As her green palm skimmed over his skin to ease, if not erase the marks there, her expression was that of a clinical doctor…Since when did she not blush at the sight of him bare-chest? He shook his head.

"Please, don't move" she instructed when he shifted a bit to find a more comfortable position with her leaning over his lap on the couch.

The silence that preceded his next words startled her all the more. "I discovered a new power."

Without a word, Sakura looked up with genuine curiosity at his blank expression. Sasuke brought a hand up to the longer bangs on the left side of his face. He parted them to uncover his closed eye under Sakura's childlike, attentive gaze. When he opened it, the medic couldn't help her surprise as her gaze was met by bare circles in his rinnegan.

"Why are there no tomoes?" She asked gingerly.

"I had saved up my energy but I used most of it to intimidate Orochimaru. I still haven't figured the exact time lapse it takes to load it fully again."

"Load what?"

"My dimension-crossing jutsu."

The flabbergasted look on Sakura's face prodded him to explain further. He had been in a bind again. Facing off with a kind of Doton master he had only seen once –sand-masters like Gaara- on the road back from a village at the north of Suna, Sasuke had been cornered: injured, deprived of his sword, without the means to escape in the desert and fighting in the heat of the afternoon, he had had nowhere to hide. The instant a spear was about to strike him between the eyes, he had found himself in a lunar landscape, bathed in ethereal moonlight. The reminder of Kaguya's instantly summoned dimensions was too strong for him not draw the most obvious and accurate conclusion that he had just traveled further than ever before. He had managed to make it back to their world after two days of helpless wandering, wounding up north in Sound because of lacking experience with this new ability. Thankfully for him, this land had been administrated by the Five Shinobi Nations ever since the war and he had had no trouble making his way back to the Fire from there after receiving Sakura's last letter.

"Orochimaru asked me about it earlier" Sasuke continued his tale "He said he learned about this doujutsu during his time in the Akatsuki and researched it further. What he told me…It only encouraged me to pursue my own research."

Sakura's gaze had never left his "Can I ask you what kind of research?"

Sasuke tilted his head aside "I can't do it just yet. Don't worry about it."

"Hmm hmm…" the kunoichi lowered her head a little to hide her pout. Sitting back down on her knees next to him, she left silence to accompany her thoughts. Clearly, Sasuke had opened up to her a great deal; it was even more flattering to know she was the first aware of his new discoveries, or at least, the beginning of his discoveries. A reminder –if ever she needed any- for why she wore this pink diamond on her finger.

"Sakura…"

In spite of herself, a shiver ran up her spine at the sound of her name rolling off his tongue like that. She was supposed to be twenty-one years old and a mature, engaged woman but _damn_ , did this ring well in her ears.

So she turned to him, outwardly composed, and Inner-Sakura wanting nothing more than to smirk seductively back at him. _'Hush!'_ she told herself before a dark blush could bloom on her cheeks at the thought of what such act could imply. But Sasuke had this dazzling expression on his face, the relaxed one, not quite smiling yet nor quite empty of emotion either. It was in his eyes, now obsidian, the lightest mirth dancing in their depth behind slight melancholy. Sakura feared they would double the effect of his deep voice on her if he dared speak while keeping eye-contact. For the worst (or the best?) he did.

"Before…Some years ago I mean…" was he speaking slowly from embarrassment or just trying to trick her? Neither seemed like him to Sakura. "…You'd have already asked me for a kiss by now."

On second thought, this straightforwardness screamed 'SASUKE' right at her face, but then again it didn't alter the effect of his words on Sakura in the slightest: a blushing, stuttering mess before him she answered awkwardly "H-haha! Y-yeah, true but…It's no longer like…I mean! I'm still…with you! But err…and I'm 'mature' now 'cause…you…"

"Sakura" How could he say her name like that every time! How could he peer into her soul so easily just from one look? She was supposed to become his wife soon, be there by his side as the perfect Uchiha lady! From what she had heard about his late mother Mikoto, she still had a lot of work to do on the 'collected' part of the job and there he was, reducing her to a flushed puddle of goo! How dare h-

"Kiss me."

Sakura had to blink more than twice before he captured her senses by cupping her chin with his hand. This instant, her hesitation and her silly pretensions flew out the window _'On seco- third thought, that sounds like a great idea.'_

~O~

Kizashi and Mebuki's faces when they had learned about their daughter's departure _and_ wedding had been a sight to see. Especially with the added detail of the event not taking place in Konoha but in Suna, hundreds of kilometers away from home, and in a few days at most. Kizashi was on the verge of tears; Mebuki stared at Sasuke as though he were a robber. By all criteria, one day's forewarning wasn't nearly suitable before the young couple's departure. But regardless –or at least for good measure- the Haruno couple along with the newly-wed Uzumakis assembled at the large gates of Konoha on that day nearing the end of April.

Naruto was still in the midst of scolding Sasuke for not fulfilling his best-friend duties at his wedding and promising that _he_ , on the other hand, would not disappoint in making his two teammates' wedding in Suna as noisy as possible –a paradoxical maneuver which could only be called sweet revenge. Sakura too had had to explain the situation to Ino but the blonde had been in a huff the last time she saw her. Sasuke had insisted that they left Konoha for at least as long as Orochimaru's trial and imprisonment in the village lasted and the medic could only accept his offer in order to keep her promise, the one she had made him shortly before they got engaged. She hoped her oldest friend would forgive her with time.

"You'll see, teme, the whole country, no, the _whole five_ shinobi nations will be talking about you guys' wedding, I'll make sure of that!" Naruto winked evilly at his stoic 'best friend' who looked on the verge of choking him on the spot. Hinata, who stood spectator to the scene beside her husband, surely would not have been too surprised if that happened.

"Hum hum" the woman clearing her throat next to the two young men managed to gain their attention on a second try, the Uchiha suddenly looking a bit tenser to Sakura's trained eyes as he recognized Mebuki Haruno with her husband standing behind her.

"We'd like a word with you, please" said Kizashi, hoping to possess the imposingness of a serious, Uchiha-like, cold tone but unescapably sounding shy in front of the young man who stood more than a foot taller than him. Sasuke, as per usual, merely nodded, prompting the more courageous Mebuki to carry on.

"You see, Sasuke, we only heard about your proposing to Sakura after you were gone…" She cast a knowing glance at her daughter behind them to which she responded by a sheepish grin, implying they had already discussed this matter. Her gaze returned to the raven haired shinobi "…Kizashi and I aren't really the 'traditional' kind of in laws, but we would actually appreciate it if you could talk to us as well, not just Sakura."

Said medic panicked at these words. In three hasty steps she was at the center of debates, ready to actively take part in the conversation "Mom, you can't ask him that so casually! Sasuke-kun is…"

"Sakura, all I mean to say is that if we're going to become family, it would be best to start communicating more, right?" Interrupted Mebuki.

Her words rang in the young Uchiha's mind, so much that he wanted to repeat them, to give them a real, tangible feel. They stayed stuck in his throat, only exiting his mouth as a silent movement of lips. Sakura noticed.

"True…" she exhaled for him who seemed so breathless right then, a radiant smile growing on her face. Her viridian gaze was solely focused on him as she said her next words "We'll be a family."

"Hehe!" Naruto chuckled beside them. Watching his best friends interact, he had felt the need to tuck Hinata to his side with one arm, both smiling like idiots in love; an expression Sakura feared mirrored hers and Sasuke's at the moment.

Reminding Naruto one last time that he would owe them ramen at Ichiraku upon their return, Sasuke and Sakura took off on the road. The kunoichi tired her arm out by waving in wide, rhythmic movements until she could no longer see her friends and family. Then, when her hand was free, she clasped it with Sasuke's.

~O~

 _Dear Naruto,_

 _As promised, I'll send you letters as often as possible to keep you informed on the latest news. Sasuke-kun and I are doing fine on what you could call 'our honey-moon', though I won't give you the details! I wanted to thank you again for the wedding in Suna. I can't say I wasn't surprised to see you organize everything so well. Has Hinata changed you that much or did she simply do it all for you beforehand? Just kidding! It was awesome anyway, how you even made Gaara laugh! I never thought I'd see the day!_

 _And Oh My God I can't believe you're going to be a dad! It's so great for you and Hinata, I just can't find the words to describe it! I can see you fret like a helpless idiot from all the way across the country but trust me, you're going to be just fine. You both will be amazing parents, I'm sure of it. Oh, and of course, Sasuke-kun and I congratulate you! See? I'm so excited that I can't write things in order haha! By the way, do you have any idea when the baby will be born? It'd be cool if the whole Konoha 11 had children who could be in the same class at the Academy in a few years!_

 _Besides that, I'm glad to hear everything's going well in Konoha. Please, tell Ino I don't hold anything against her. In different circumstances, she would have made a perfect maid of honor. I'm just glad she isn't mad anymore. Pigs can be pretty nasty, you know (but don't tell her I said that)! Also, to answer my parents' question which you asked me in your last letter, Sasuke-kun and I won't return before Orochimaru is out of the village or at least no longer a potential threat. Unless there is a really big emergency of course, but I don't think that's going to happen. Sasuke-kun would rather conceal the fact that I was in danger because of Orochimaru for obvious reasons, but I feel they have the right to know. Just try to be smooth while telling them. Actually, you might want to bring Hinata with you. I trust you, of course._

 _I just remembered: we met with Karui's team the other day while they were on a mission. Maybe Chouji told you about it by now? She wanted to fight Sasuke-kun directly this time but he declined. You can imagine how infuriated she was that he would not take up her challenge! Positive thing though: we managed to talk her out of it after a while. It might not be much, but it's a first step. Maybe after this truce we'll be able to get along one day._

 _Otherwise, I've had the occasion to check on the new hospital wards we opened all over the country, you remember? Except in one or two places, I was pleasantly surprise to see everything working perfectly. You know, with this kind of project, you can always expect a rough start before it gets better, but no, there was really nothing to say! I'm so glad the medics are handling the job so well and the children who were traumatized after the war are able to get better. I'm not ashamed to say I'm really proud of myself, and Sasuke-kun is too._

 _Thank you again for keeping us updated on what's going on in Konoha, and being there for us and…oh God, I'm getting cheesy aren't I? Nevermind, thank you so much Naruto. I know a lot of things are bound to change in our lives (hopefully for the better), that we're growing up and becoming adults, but some things never change, like you, or the bound between the old Team 7 (say hi to Kakashi for us). But right now at this point in my life, I really feel like I could_ _ **fly**_ _!_

 _Take care,_

 _Sakura & Sasuke_


End file.
